Ismail ibn Hammad al-Jawhari
Encyclopedia
Abu Nasr Isma'il ibn Hammad al-Jawhari or al-Jauhari (died 1002 or 1008) was the author of a notable Arabic dictionary. He was born in the city of Farab a.k.a. Otrar
in Turkestan (in today's southern Kazakhstan). He studied Arabic language first in Baghdad
and then among the Arabs of the Hejaz
. Then he settled in northern Khorasan (at Damghan
and subsequently at Nishapur
). He died at Nishapur while attempting flight
from the roof of a mosque, possibly inspired by an earlier glider
flight by Abbas Ibn Firnas
.
His great work is the Arabic dictionary entitled Taj al-Lugha wa Sihah al-Arabiya, "The Crown of Language and the Correct Arabic", also known by the shorter titles al-Sihah fi al-Lugha, "The Correct Language", and al-Sihah. It contains about 40000 dictionary entries. He wrote it when living in Nishapur. It is told that he had not completed it at his death and it was completed by a student. Al-Jawhari put the words into an alphabetical order under which the last letter of a word's root is the first ordering criterion. Al-Sihah is one of the main Arabic dictionaries of the medieval era. Moreover much of its material was incorporated into later Arabic dictionaries compiled by others. A number of abridgements of it, as well as expansions of it, were produced in Arabic over the centuries. A fully searchable online edition is at Baheth.info. Most of it was copied into the huge 13th century dictionary compilation Lisan al-Arab, which is also online at Baheth.info.
An edition was begun by E. Scheidius with a Latin
translation, but one part only appeared at Harderwijk
(1776). The whole has been published at Tabriz
(1854) and at Cairo
(1865), and many abridgments and Persian translations have appeared. In 1729 its dictionary entries formed the basis for an Arabic-to-Turkish dictionary that was the first book printed using printing press
by Ibrahim Muteferrika
in Ottoman
era.
Otrar
Otrar or Utrar is a Central Asian ghost town that was a city located along the Silk Road near the current town of Karatau in Kazakhstan. Otrar was an important town in the history of Central Asia, situated on the borders of settled and agricultural civilizations...
in Turkestan (in today's southern Kazakhstan). He studied Arabic language first in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and then among the Arabs of the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
. Then he settled in northern Khorasan (at Damghan
Damghan
Damghan is a city in and capital of Damghan County, Semnan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 57,331, in 15,849 families.Damghan is situated from Tehran on the high-road to Mashad, at an elevation of...
and subsequently at Nishapur
Nishapur
Nishapur or Nishabur , is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad...
). He died at Nishapur while attempting flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
from the roof of a mosque, possibly inspired by an earlier glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
flight by Abbas Ibn Firnas
Abbas Ibn Firnas
Abbas Ibn Firnas , also known as Abbas Qasim Ibn Firnas and عباس بن فرناس , was a Muslim Andalusian polymath: an inventor, engineer, aviator, physician, Arabic poet, and Andalusian musician. Of Berber descent, he was born in Izn-Rand Onda, Al-Andalus , and lived in the Emirate of Córdoba...
.
His great work is the Arabic dictionary entitled Taj al-Lugha wa Sihah al-Arabiya, "The Crown of Language and the Correct Arabic", also known by the shorter titles al-Sihah fi al-Lugha, "The Correct Language", and al-Sihah. It contains about 40000 dictionary entries. He wrote it when living in Nishapur. It is told that he had not completed it at his death and it was completed by a student. Al-Jawhari put the words into an alphabetical order under which the last letter of a word's root is the first ordering criterion. Al-Sihah is one of the main Arabic dictionaries of the medieval era. Moreover much of its material was incorporated into later Arabic dictionaries compiled by others. A number of abridgements of it, as well as expansions of it, were produced in Arabic over the centuries. A fully searchable online edition is at Baheth.info. Most of it was copied into the huge 13th century dictionary compilation Lisan al-Arab, which is also online at Baheth.info.
An edition was begun by E. Scheidius with a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
translation, but one part only appeared at Harderwijk
Harderwijk
' is a municipality and a small city in the eastern Netherlands.- The history of Harderwijk :Harderwijk received city rights from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231. A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the...
(1776). The whole has been published at Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
(1854) and at Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
(1865), and many abridgments and Persian translations have appeared. In 1729 its dictionary entries formed the basis for an Arabic-to-Turkish dictionary that was the first book printed using printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
by Ibrahim Muteferrika
Ibrahim Muteferrika
Ibrahim Müteferrika or Ibrahim Müteferrika or Ibrahim Müteferrika or (1674 born in Kolozsvár (present-day Cluj-Napoca, Romania)– died 1745, in Istanbul, (Ottoman Empire now Turkey); was a Transylvanian-born Ottoman diplomat, polymath: a publisher, printer, courtier, economist, man of letters,...
in Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era.