Semantic Development of Arabic words between Old and New Dictionaries “In the light of MUJAM AL SEHAH and AL MUJAM AL WASIT”

التطور الدلالي لألفاظ العربية بين المعاجم القديمة والحديثة "دراسة موازنة في ضوء معجم الصحاح والمعجم الوسيط"

Abstract

  It is the specification of Arabic language that it is a derivative language. There has been different changes in its meaning from time to time and palace to places. When Islam was introduce and the Quran was revealed on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), different words meaning were changed from their ancient to present, these kinds of words are various in number in the Qur’anic text and Sunnah that have changed from the old semantic meaning into modern semantic.

     The role of dictionary is very important in the definition of a word and its meaning in a language, as the language is a social phenomenon. It is established because of society and destroyed because of society. The main elements of a language is as follow: phonemes, morphemes, grammar and semantic meaning. These are the elements where the dictionary like “MUJAM AL SEHAH” and “AL MUJAM AL WASIT” are focused. The both dictionaries are alike in definition of a word and meaning but there are some difference in semantics meaning because one is from early time while the other is from modern time.

    For this purpose a new dictionary with the name of AL MUJAM AL WASIT was written to define a word in modern semantic in order to keep the Arabic civilization in conformity to the 21 century, and to enable the Arab to use modern words (semantic) to get benefit from the use of technology and much more things which are for their needs and purposes.