Ibn Sidah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ibn Sidah
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| Born | 1007 Murcia, Caliphate of Córdoba, Andalusia, now Spain |
| Died | 26 March 1066 (25 RabīʿII 458), at the age of 59. Dénia, Taifa of Dénia and the Eastern Islands, Andalusia |
| Occupation | Muslim Andalusian Scholar in Córdoba, Andalusia, Grammarian |
| Notable works | Al-Muhkam wal-Muhit al-A'zam (28 Volumes) المحكم والمحيط الأعظم |
Abū’l-Ḥasan ʻAlī ibn Ismāʻīl (أبو الحسن على بن اسماعيل), better known as Ibn Sīdah (ابن سيده), was an important scholar from Andalusia. He lived from about 1007 to 1066. Ibn Sīdah was an expert in languages, a philologist (someone who studies language in old texts), and a lexicographer (someone who writes dictionaries).
He created two very important books. One was an encyclopedia called al-Kitāb al-Mukhaṣṣaṣ, which means "Book of Customs." The other was a large Arabic language dictionary called Al-Muḥkam wa-al-muḥīt al-aʻẓam, meaning "The Great and Comprehensive Arbiter." His work greatly helped the study of language, literature, and logic.
Contents
The Life of Ibn Sīdah
Ibn Sīdah was born in Murcia, a city in eastern Andalusia. This area is now part of Spain. Interestingly, both Ibn Sīdah and his father were blind. His father was a sculptor, but Ibn Sīdah chose to study languages. It seems that studying languages and writing dictionaries was a family tradition for them.
His Teachers and Travels
Ibn Sīdah lived in a small kingdom called "Dénia and the Eastern Islands." This kingdom was ruled by Emir Mujahid al-Amiri al-Muwaffaq. During his life, Ibn Sīdah traveled to important cities like Mecca and Medina.
He studied in Cordova, which was a famous center for learning. There, he learned from well-known grammarians. One of his teachers was Abu al-Sa'ad ibn al-Hasan al-Rubai al-Baghdadi. Another important teacher was Abu Omar al-Talmanki. Ibn Sīdah passed away in Dénia.
Major Works and Contributions
Ibn Sīdah wrote many books that were very important for understanding the Arabic language. His works are still studied today. He helped to organize and explain the rules of Arabic.
Important Books by Ibn Sīdah
- al-Mukhaṣṣaṣ (المخصص): This was a huge encyclopedia, made up of 20 volumes. It was like a big reference book about many topics.
- Al-Muḥkam wa-al-muḥīt al-ʾaʿẓam (المحكم والمحيط الأعظم): This was his famous Arabic dictionary. It had 11 volumes and was a main source for later dictionaries, like the well-known Lisān al-ʿArab.
- al-ʾunīq (الأنيق): This title means "The Elegant."
- šarʿ ʾiṣlāḥ al-Muntaq (شرح إصلاح المنطق): This book was a "Commentary on the Reform of Logic."
- šarʿ ma ʾaškāl min shaʿr al-Mutanabbī (شرح ما أشكل من شعر المتنبي): This book explained difficult parts of poems by al-Mutanabbi.
- al-ʿalām fi l-luġa ʿala al-ʾaǧnās (العلام في اللغة على الأجناس): This means "Science of Languages of Nations."
- al-ʿālam wa l-Mutaʿallam (العالم والمتعلم): This book was about "Knowledge and the Student."
- al-Wāfī fi ʿalam ʾaḥkām al-Quwāfī (الواfi في علم أحكام القوافي): This translates to "Science of Rhyme Provision."
- al-ʿawīs fi sharʿ ʾIslāḥ l-Munṭaq (العويص في شرح إصلاح المنطق): This was a "Sharp Explanation of Logic."
- šarʿ Kitāb al-ʾAḫfash (شرح كتاب الأخفش): This was a "Commentary on Book of the Hidden."
- as-samāʾ wa l-ʿālam (السماء والعالم): This means "Heaven and Earth."
- al-ʿālam fi l-Luġah (العالم في اللغة): This book was about "Philology," the study of language.
- šawāḏ al-Luġah (شواذ اللغة): This means "Language Lovers."
See also
In Spanish: Ibn Sida para niños
