Doha: The Ceremony marking the completion of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, which was attended by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Monday, crowned a long scholarly journey spanning several years. During this period, one of the largest Arabic linguistic projects of the modern era was accomplished, documenting the history of Arabic vocabulary and tracing its semantics evolution across the ages.

According to Qatar News Agency, the large turnout of intellectuals, researchers, and academics from Qatar and across the Arab world at the ceremony underscored that the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language has become an Arab project with global resonance, positioning the Arabic language at the heart of contemporary linguistic debates and strengthening its presence in international academic research.

The notable Arab participation in the ceremony reflected the project's scholarly stature and significance. The event was attended by representatives of regional and international organizations, a distinguished group of Arabic linguists, heads of Arab language academies, and leading Orientalists specializing in Arabic linguistic studies, in addition to members of the Scientific Council of the Doha Historical Dictionary, its experts, and researchers who contributed to the completion of such exceptional lexicographical achievement.

The completion of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language represents a pivotal milestone in the trajectory of Arab linguistic research, as it offers a comprehensive historical dictionary that reveals semantic, morphological, and usage transformations of words over a span exceeding twenty centuries.

The ceremony featured speeches by officials and renowned scholarly and intellectual figures, who emphasized the uniqueness of the Doha Historical Dictionary and its meticulous documentation of the life of words within their temporal, epistemological, and civilizational contexts.

In this context, HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater affirmed in her address the central importance of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language and its effective role in supporting Arabic language education. She stressed the necessity of investing in major linguistic projects as a fundamental pillar for knowledge-building, safeguarding cultural identity, and reinforcing the status of the Arabic language in both the present and the future.

She added that the completion of the dictionary should not remain confined to being a pioneering linguistic project, but should rather serve as a beginning and fertile ground for a broader civilizational renaissance project. She noted that the dictionary embodies seriousness and continuity, as well as the capacity for synthesis and authorship, at a time when sustained and rigorous intellectual work in the Arab world suffers from the absence of a viable market.

Her Excellency further emphasized that the dictionary's importance lies in several factors, including its seriousness and cumulative nature, the strength of its hosting institution with its prolific output, and the momentum of authorship, translation, and academic programs associated with it.

She noted that the dictionary succeeded in harmonizing differences among those working on it, despite their diverse backgrounds and affiliations with varying intellectual schools. For more than a decade, they united to accomplish a comprehensive and beneficial project within a rigorous methodological framework, opening unique and pioneering horizons of knowledge that previous generations had long sought to reach.

HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education added that the completion of the dictionary affirms that science remains expansive among its practitioners and continues to be possible in the Arab world, provided that resources are available and safe spaces for genuine dialogue, constructive intellectual engagement, scientific approaches, and serious, beneficial projects are ensured.

She also affirmed that Doha, which in the past extended its generous shade to thinkers, intellectuals, and creatives, is capable and well-positioned to play a role in the coming phase by hosting intellectual and renaissance-oriented projects that contribute to advancing the course of history in favor of the nation and contemporary humanity.

For his part, Executive Director of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, Azeddine Bouchikhi stressed in his remarks the profound scientific and methodological importance of this pioneering lexicographical project, describing it as the product of cumulative institutional work carried out over many years.

He described the dictionary as "A rigorous scholarly endeavor characterized by its profound cognitive and historical depth, devoted to safeguarding the linguistic identity of the Arabic language, restoring the nation's confidence in itself and in its capacities, and rekindling hope in the realization of its civilizational aspirations."

He stated that this achievement is the result of extensive scholarly effort and sustained cooperation among an elite group of scholars, researchers, and specialists in the Arabic language, emphasizing that it was not merely a conventional linguistic project, but rather a comprehensive intellectual vision dedicated to serving Arabic and documenting its history, as well as the evolution of its vocabulary and meanings across the ages.

He added that work on the dictionary faced major scientific and methodological challenges due to the multiplicity of sources and the diversity of linguistic usages, in addition to the need for meticulous verification of terminology across various scientific and cognitive fields. He noted that the team was keen to present precise scholarly material that meets the needs of researchers and those interested in the Arabic language.

Dr. Bouchikhi concluded by affirming that this achievement would not have seen the light without the concerted efforts and firm belief in the importance of serving the Arabic language, stressing the need to continue building upon what has been achieved so that the dictionary remains a dynamic and evolving project serving future generations.