al-Talkhis fi Marifat Asma al-Ashya
- Author died
- 395 AH
- Editions
- Dār Ṭalās lil-Dirāsāt wal-Tarjamah wal-Nashr
al-Talkhis fi Ma'rifat Asma' al-Ashya' (The Summary in Knowing the Names of Things) is a thematic Arabic lexicon composed by the philologist and man of letters Abu Hilal al-Askari (d. c. 395 AH / 1005 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
Abu Hilal al-Askari compiled the work to explain the names, attributes, and varieties of objects that students and men of letters (ahl al-adab) need to master and memorize . The book encompasses vocabulary pertaining to the human body and character traits, household utensils and craft tools, foods and garments, beasts, birds, and insects, as well as clouds, rain, plants, trees, bodies of water, wells, and buildings .
Method
In his introduction, the author states that he refined and clarified the material while stripping away distracting morphological derivations (tasarif) and poetic citations (shawahid), retaining only a few scattered examples so that the work would remain accessible to beginners without being too elementary for intermediate students . He contrasted his approach with the book of Lughdhah, which he criticized for burdening readers with excessive grammatical derivations and citations at the expense of lexical terms, and with that of al-Daymarti, presenting his own work as more comprehensive, clear, and direct .
Structure
The book is structured into forty thematic chapters (abwab):
- Names of human limbs, pregnancy, and childbirth .
- Names of human actions, changing states, and traits of praise and blame .
- Kinship relations .
- Clothing, weaving, tailoring, and weavers' tools .
- Furnishings, cushions, and carpets .
- Footwear and shoemakers' tools .
- Houses, dwellings, and builders' tools .
- Doors, locks, and carpenters' tools .
- Vessels, household furniture, and domestic implements .
- Scales, measures, and coins .
- Containers and receptacles .
- Hand mills .
- Fire and lamps .
- Jewelry and ornaments .
- Minerals and earthly gems .
- Foods .
- Perfumes .
- The sky, stars, day, night, and times .
- Winds .
- Clouds, rain, thunder, and lightning .
- Wells, ropes, and buckets .
- Rivers, subterranean waters, and pools .
- Plants, herbs, and aromatics .
- Agriculture, farming implements, and grains .
- Trees, date palms, and fresh and dried dates .
- Grapes, wine, and fruit .
- Lands, deserts, mountains, and sands .
- Weapons, battlefields, and armies .
- Horses, saddles, and bridles .
- Camels and their descriptions .
- Cattle, sheep, and milk .
- Wild beasts .
- Predatory animals .
- Pests and insects .
- Birds .
- Craftsmen and artisans .
- Medicines and dyes .
- Inkstands, pens, and books .
- Pastimes and children's games .
- Miscellaneous items .
Reception and Editions
The traditionist Abu Tahir al-Silafi noted Abu Hilal's authorship of al-Talkhis in lexicography, and Yaqut al-Hamawi characterized it as a beneficial work . The text was edited by Izzat Hasan and published in Damascus .
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