Mujam Tashih Lughat al-Ilam al-Arabi
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- Mujam Tashih Lughat al-Ilam al-Arabi
Mu'jam Tashih Lughat al-I'lam al-'Arabi (Dictionary of Correcting the Language of Arab Media) is a modern Arabic reference work compiled by Abd al-Hadi Boutaleb to correct common grammatical, morphological, and stylistic errors prevalent across contemporary Arab media and publications .
Purpose and Scope
The dictionary addresses language errors widespread in the Arab media, defining media broadly to include print journalism, radio and television broadcasts, spoken discourse, and books . It focuses on widespread mistakes (al-akhta' al-sha'i'ah) that have been repeated so frequently that proper Arabic usage has been largely forgotten, resulting in well-known errors supplanting correct classical forms .
Rather than attempting an exhaustive catalog of every possible error—which the author noted would make the work an overly vast encyclopedia accessible only to specialized elites—the book offers select, representative cases designed to provide models that other linguists and researchers can apply to unaddressed errors .
Method and Principles
The book's corrective methodology relies on several foundational principles:
- Adherence to standard rules: Boutaleb prioritizes regular grammatical and morphological rules over anomalous or irregular usages (al-shadhdh), maintaining that relying on anomalies fractures the language and undermines its unity .
- Controlled adoption of loanwords: The author accepts neologisms and borrowed vocabulary (al-muwallad), provided that such terms conform to Arabic phonological structures and verb templates (awzan al-af'al) .
- Distinction between synonyms: In lexical analysis, the dictionary rejects the view that synonyms carry identical meanings; instead, it derives distinct nuances for terms by examining their root letters, arguing that precision in vocabulary is essential for modern language .
- Linguistic sovereignty: Boutaleb frames the safeguarding of Arabic against foreign corruption and structural distortion as an act of protecting linguistic sovereignty, which he regards as an integral component of national sovereignty .
Structure and Content
The entries in the dictionary are arranged alphabetically according to Arabic letters (beginning with the letter hamzah) . Each entry takes up a specific word, phrase, or construction commonly misapplied by reporters, broadcasters, or editors, explaining the nature of the error and providing the grammatically correct form alongside its morphological justification .
Among the specific areas covered are:
- Distinctions between hamzat al-wasl and hamzat al-qat' in media headings and broadcasts .
- Vocalization and inflection of derived terms and numbers, such as uhadi and defective verb conjugations when attached to plural pronouns (such as ibqaw rather than ibqu) .
- Semantic distortions and loan-translations from European languages, such as the erroneous use of aw (or) instead of bal (rather) for self-correction during live broadcasting, influenced by the French particle ou .
- Misuses of demonstrative and connective phrasing, including the non-standard employment of hakadha in political reporting .
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