Oxford University Press publishes ground-breaking new Oxford Arabic Dictionary

On Thursday 28 August 2014, Oxford University Press will celebrate the print and digital publication of the Oxford Arabic Dictionary.

Produced by an international team of expert translators and advisors using Oxford’s renowned language research programme, the Oxford Arabic Dictionary is the first of its kind to be based throughout on real modern evidence of both English and Arabic usage.

The unique Arabic corpus, developed specially for this project, provides evidence of the latest vocabulary used in computing, business, the media, and the arts, making the resource the most up-to-date bilingual Arabic and English dictionary available.

The dictionary focuses on the standardized variant of Arabic used in writing and formal speech, commonly known as Modern Standard Arabic.

One of the key strengths of this project is the 70,000 real example phrases that illustrate the dictionary entries.

These examples help the user interpret everyday modern meaning and usage accurately, and cement the Oxford Arabic Dictionary as the most pragmatic work of its kind.

The dictionary is available in print and is also accessible online via subscription at Oxforddictionaries.com/Arabic.

The online edition is fully accessible on mobile and tablet, and, via specially developed search software, enables learners and users of Arabic and English to search more than 330,000 words, phrases, and translations.

Regular word and content updates will ensure that the online Oxford Arabic Dictionary continues to reflect the latest vocabulary and trends in language usage.

Tressy Arts, chief editor of the Oxford Arabic Dictionary, comments:“When I was a student in the nineties, I used an Arabic-English and an English-Arabic dictionary from the seventies. In 2014, these two were still the best options available. The Oxford Arabic Dictionary finally gives learners and translators a modern dictionary in which they can find the Arabic for ‘blog’ and ‘tweet’ as well as for ‘camel’. The dictionary is clear, with sense indicators and examples showing which translation to choose; comprehensive, with over 26,000 entries on either side; and evidence-based, which is unique for Arabic. It shows both English and Arabic as the vast, dynamic world languages they are, and creates a unique bridge between the two.”

Casper Grathwohl, President, Dictionaries Division at OUP adds: “With the rising demand for Arabic language skills in the business world, the media, and public life, the Oxford Arabic Dictionary is a long-awaited and unsurpassed resource, essential for anyone using both Arabic and English.”