Arabic Terms: Between Adaptation and Innovation

Abstract

The Arabic language faces increasing pressure to keep up with accelerating scientific and technological discoveries. This is especially noticeable on the level of terms, as the need to find synonyms for an increasing number of concepts, objects, and products becomes palpable. In its quest to meet this challenge, the Arabic language is mobilizing its available traditional methods in order to create new lexicographic units, which, if necessary, can be complemented by a number of innovative techniques. Specifically, this study examines how the Arabic language deals with specific aspects of the “term” in its most controversial dimensions, such as abbreviated terms, letter-numerical constructions, mixed linguistic units, metaphors, alliterations, and similes. The study also discusses methods to invent new roots from borrowed Arabized terms.