Lexical Origins Common to Classical Arabic and the Mehri Language Illustrative Models from Al-Jawhari's Al-Sihah Dictionary

Abstract

This study examines the shared lexical origins between Classical Arabic and the Mehri language through Al-Jawhari's Al-Sihah dictionary, focusing on the semantic extension and phonetic development that these roots exhibit in Mehri. The research problem lies in uncovering the fundamental connection between Mehri words used in everyday communication among the Mahra tribe in eastern Yemen and the lexical roots documented in Al-Sihah, one of the most prominent dictionaries concerned with authentic Classical Arabic vocabulary. The research employs a descriptive-comparative approach by tracing a selected set of Mehri words, classifying them according to semantic units, and comparing them with their counterparts in Al-Sihah, while identifying the phonetic or semantic changes that have occurred in Mehri, as well as any resulting unfamiliarity in form or shift in meaning. The study aims to demonstrate the extent to which the Mehri language has preserved Classical Arabic roots or diverged from them within an independent linguistic context, and to offer a scholarly contribution to the fields of lexicography and comparative linguistics.