LINGUISTIC REGISTRATION IN ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY: THE OXFORD ARABIC DICTIONARY AS A MODEL

Abstract

This paper aims at illuminating the manifestation of linguistic register in Arabic lexicography, with the Oxford Arabic Dictionary serving as a prime exemplar. It thus seeks to answer the following research question: How do the characteristics of linguistic register materialize practically in Arabic dictionaries, and to what extent is the concept of language register embodied within the Oxford Arabic Dictionary specifically? The significance of this topic lies in its focus on a fundamental facet of sociolinguistics, a field that examines language through a social lens. This discipline asserts that the meanings, connotations, and styles of language vocabulary are contingent upon the social contexts and classes in which they are employed. The study, grounded in the analytical-critical approach, is partitioned into three main sections. Initially, it provides a theoretical framework that elucidates the concept of language register in the Western context, as interpreted by ancient Arab linguists, and in contemporary Arabic lexicography. Subsequently, it underscores the absence of lexical registration in both "Al-muʻjam al-wasīṭ" and "Al-muʻjam al-ʻarabiyy al-asāsiyy." Ultimately, it scrutinizes the methodology of the Oxford Arabic Dictionary in addressing this phenomenon and the degree of its adherence to this approach. This comprehensive exploration contributes to our understanding of the interplay between sociolinguistics and lexicography in the context of the Arabic language.