The Crisis of Creating Critical Terminology in Modern Arabic Lexicons: "Colonialism" as a Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10218Keywords:
The crisis of terminology, Arabic lexicon, colonialism.Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to shed light on the crisis of critical terminology development in modern Arabic lexicography by examining the key mechanisms used in term formation, such as translation and derivation. It particularly focuses on the challenges of translating Western critical terms—specifically the term colonialism within the Arabic cultural framework.
Methods: The research adopts a combined theoretical and applied approach. It first analyzes the fundamental principles and methods underlying term formation in Arabic dictionaries. This theoretical perspective is then applied to the term colonialism to examine how it is translated and represented in Arabic culture. As such, this study falls within the field of applied linguistics, particularly terminology and lexicography studies.
Results:. The study reveals that translated terms, such as colonialism, often lose their original connotations or are interpreted in contexts that do not fully reflect their essence. This issue primarily arises from the lack of a clear methodological framework for translation and conceptual adaptation within modern Arabic lexicography.
Conclusions: The study concludes that the crisis of critical terminology in modern Arabic lexicography stems from the absence of a systematic and well-defined methodology for transferring concepts and terms from other languages and cultures. This results in semantic distortions and the misplacement of terms in contexts that fail to capture their true meanings. Through a case study of the term colonialism, the research demonstrates that direct translation often leads to epistemological and cultural challenges that hinder effective cross-cultural communication. The study emphasizes the need for an integrated lexicographical methodology to enrich Arabic dictionaries with accurately translated critical terms while preserving the linguistic and cultural specificity of Arabic.
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