Mastering Arabic Vocabulary: For Intermediate to Advanced Learners of Modern Standard Arabic

651 Pages·2017·3.27 MB·English

by  Nadia R. Sirhan

Mastering Arabic Vocabulary
Mastering Arabic Vocabulary provides a structured vocabulary course for
undergraduate and advanced students of Arabic.
Arranged thematically, and by root, the course presents the key vocabulary
that a well-informed Arabic speaker should have at their disposal when
discussing diverse topics from business and politics to culture, society, science
and technology. The course includes a wealth of exercises throughout to support
learners from passive recognition to an increase in their active vocabulary.
Mastering Arabic Vocabulary is the ideal reference source for students of
Arabic to build and expand their vocabulary.
Nadia R. Sirhan has a PhD in Arabic Linguistics from SOAS, University of
London.
Mastering Arabic Vocabulary
For Intermediate to Advanced Learners of Modern
Standard Arabic
Nadia R. Sirhan
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 Nadia R. Sirhan
The right of Nadia R. Sirhan to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used
only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this title has been
requested ISBN: 978-1-138-94280-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-94281-3 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-67292-2 (ebk)
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Contents
Introduction
Arabic-derived verb forms
The participles
Notes on the text
1 Politics ِﺔﺳَ ﺎﻴﺴّ ﻟا ﻢُ ﻠﻋِ
Government and politics
Political parties and ideologies
Security measures
War and peace
Civil (dis)obedience
Elections and voting
Displacement and aid
Exercises
2 Law and order مُ ﺎﻈّﻨﻟاو نُ ﻮﻧﺎﻘﻟا
The legal process
Treaties and contracts
Crimes
Under arrest
Verdicts and convictions
Prison
Evidence and proof
Appeals and settlements
Exercises
3 Work, business and economics ُدﺎﺼِﺘﻗِﻻاو ُةرﺎﺠّﺘﻟاو ﻞُ ﻤَﻌﻟا
Work and employment
Business, trade and commerce
Economics and finance
Exercises
4 Education ﻢُ ﻴﻠﻌ(cid:6020)ﺘﻟا
School
Education
Performance levels
University
Subjects
Other subjects
Extra-curricular and recreational activities
Exercises
5 Media مﻼﻋﻹا ﻞُ ﺋﺎﺳو
ِ َ
Journalism and news
Publishing
Commentary
Censorship
Exercises
6 Culture, religion and society ُﻊﻤَ َﺘﺠﻤُ ﻟاو ﺔُ ﻓﺎﻘ(cid:6020)ﺜﻟاو ﻦُ ﻳّﺪﻟا
Religion
Culture and society
Exercises
7 Family and feelings ﻒُ ِﻃاﻮَﻌﻟاو ﺔُ ﻠِﺋﺎﻌﻟا
Family relations
Emotions and feelings
Exercises
8 Health ﺔُ ﺤﺼّ ﻟا
The body
The senses
Sex and reproduction
The mind
Ailments, illnesses and disabilities
Treatments, cures and death
Exercises
9 Earth, nature and the environment ﺔُ َﺌﻴﺒﻟاو ﺔُ َﻌﻴﺒ(cid:6020)ﻄﻟاو ضُ رَﻷا
Animals
Weather and climate
Natural disasters
Natural resources and energy
The world and beyond
Exercises
10 Information technology تِ ﺎﻣﻮﻠﻌﻤَ ﻟا ﺔُ (cid:6020)ﻴِﻨﻘِﺗ
Useful terms
Exercises
Answer key
Index
Introduction
Arabic, a Semitic language, is based on a consonantal root system whereby
almost every word in the language is derived from a root. Although there are
exceptions, most Arabic words have a triliteral root (made up of three consonants
or radicals), and it is this root that defines the underlying meaning of the word.
Thus, words which are derived from the same root will frequently have a shared
basic meaning.
We can see how the consonantal root system works using the root ب ت ك (k t
b) where words derived from this root have a meaning linked to ‘writing’:
ﺐَ َﺘَﻛ (kataba) he wrote
ﺐٌ َﺘْﻜ ﻣَ(maktabun) an office or desk
ﺔٌ َﺒَﺘﻜﻣَ (maktabatun) a library or bookshop
ﺐٌ ِﺗﺎﻛ (kātibun) an author
As can be seen, the different but related words are formed by adding vowels and
affixes to the root following specific patterns or forms which give predictable
meanings. In other words, by adding certain vowels and affixes to the root,
particular noun or verb patterns are reproduced, which may lead to a vast
number of words which are predictable in both form and meaning. When you
come across a new word, assuming you recognise the root, you can approximate
the basic meaning of the word. It is easy to see how knowing the root and
understanding the root patterns enables the learner to understand and access a
plethora of words.
There are instances, however, where one root can have two different meanings
(which might have originally been linked) and either each Form applies to both
meanings or each Form produces a different meaning. The root س و س (s w s),
for example, carries both the meaning ‘to govern or dominate’ and ‘to rot or