The Ibn Rushd College of Education for Humanities at the University of Baghdad held the defense of a doctoral dissertation entitled “Lexicons of Civilizational Terminology Compiled by Arabic Language Academies: An Analytical and Critical Study”, presented by Haider Awwad Atshan, a Ph.D. candidate from the Department of Arabic Language specializing in Linguistics.
The examination committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Allawi Sader Jazaa, with Prof. Dr. Hassan Jaafar Sadiq serving as both supervisor and committee member. The committee also included a distinguished panel of faculty members from the Department of Arabic Language, in addition to Asst. Prof. Dr. Shifaa Saeed Jasim from Al-Imam Al-Aadham University College, who participated as an external examiner.
The dissertation aimed to evaluate the methodology adopted by Arabic language academies in documenting civilizational terminology within their dictionaries, examine the semantic developments associated with these terms, and provide a critical perspective that contributes to the advancement of contemporary Arabic lexicography.
The study concluded that there is a clear gap between the theoretical principles outlined by language academies in their introductory frameworks and their actual lexicographical practice. In many cases, dictionary definitions lacked clarity or relied on repetition and circular explanations, reflecting methodological and organizational shortcomings in lexicographical compilation. At the practical level, however, the research demonstrated the vitality and adaptability of the Arabic language, showing that derivation and figurative expression have enabled classical vocabulary to acquire modern meanings capable of accurately expressing contemporary concepts and technological innovations.
