Sharjah announces the launch of ChatGPT-style Arabic history dictionary
Officially started on September 21, 2024, the innovative Historical Arabic Dictionary project is moving into a new stage as it develops into the Historical Dictionary GPT.
Planned for a 2025 release, this advanced platform will build on the resources of the original dictionary by including GPT-based interactivity, therefore providing a more dynamic experience like to that of popular artificial intelligence applications like ChatGPT, Users will be able to interact and converse with approximately 20 million Arabic words across 127 volumes, so transforming Arabic language resources.
Unlike conventional dictionaries, the Historical Dictionary GPT is meant to greatly improve Arabic language accessibility and culture comprehension, This is "an Arab initiative that transcends borders," said Muhammad Hassan Khalaf, a Board of Trustees member of the Arabic Language Academy, Emphasizing the dictionary's part in safeguarding linguistic legacy and making it generally accessible and useable, he defined it as a group endeavor aiming at enhancing and promoting Arabic culture. The initiative not only honors the richness of the Arabic language but also promotes cultural unity by providing non-Arab speakers with a way to grasp its historical and cultural relevance.
The dictionary also provides a forum for bringing a contemporary Arabic vocabulary into use in disciplines including law, philosophy, and culture. The project aims to dispel stereotypes about the Arabic language, therefore promoting cultural interaction and mutual understanding, Khalaf noted. This all-inclusive tool helps to emphasize Arabic's linguistic diversity and possible use as a vehicle for contemporary expression and cross-cultural communication.
Secretary General of the Arabic Language Academy and Executive Director of the project, Dr. Mohamed Safi Al Mosteghanemi, underlined the need of mixing artificial intelligence with language preservation. "Our children are very interested in artificial intelligence," he said, implying that this initiative not only preserves the history but also gets the next generation of Arabic speakers ready to communicate with their language using creative technologies. Combining language preservation with artificial intelligence, the Historical Dictionary GPT offers young Arabic speakers and students of the language all around an engaging, interactive learning environment.
Originally published in 2017, the Historical Arabic Dictionary is a result of the relentless work of more than 780 specialists, linguists, and scholars, Their commitment shows a goal to revive Arabic language by means of a tool that records word development and their complex meanings in several historical and cultural settings. Unlike conventional dictionaries, a historical dictionary adds layers of contextual knowledge and tracks how the meanings and uses of words have changed over time, Khalaf said. Although exact numbers are yet unknown, this ambitious undertaking required millions of dollars in funding.
Given the usual schedule of several decades needed for such historical dictionaries, the pace and successful completion of the project after just seven years is amazing. "Despite the challenges we faced, including the epidemic," General Rapporteur of the Jordanian Team, Professor Dr. Mohammad Al-Saoudi, said, praising the team's tenacity and flexibility. Beginning with about 200 professionals, the team expanded and constantly innovated to meet these obstacles, rising to a degree of cooperation and efficiency unheard of in dictionary compilation efforts.
Formally announcing the completion of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language on September 21, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and a Member of the Supreme Council, Covering an amazing 127 volumes, this lexicon strengthens Sharjah's contributions to Arabic and Islamic knowledge and confirms its cultural center, By adding this, Sharjah enhances its reputation in the intellectual and creative domains, thereby advancing Arabic culture and helping Arab and Islamic populations all around.
The forthcoming Historical Dictionary GPT marks not only a continuance of the main objectives of the dictionary but also a modernizing of them, Preserving language while expanding knowledge and accessibility, its vast lexicon and the versatility of GPT technology will make it an indispensable tool for scholars, students, and general Arabic speakers both, By means of this initiative, the Arabic Language Academy and associates have produced a potent instrument reflecting Arabic's cultural legacy and orienting it toward the future of language technology.