Arabic terminology: Adaptation and innovation

Like many other languages on the receiving end of scientific and technical innovations. Arabic is under a growing pressure to create an ever-increasing number of terms. To respond to this pressing need, Arabic mobilizes the full potential of its conventional resources and explores innovative complementary means. This article endeavours to investigate how Arabic is currently dealing with some specific aspects of scientific and technical terminology, namely abbreviated terms, alphanumerical combinations, mixed units as well as units created by metaphor, metonymy and analogy. The creation of new roots crafted from arabized loan words is an innovative and controversial issue. Its positive and possible negative impacts on the integrity of the language are examined.

Evidence at hand shows that Arabic is responding in different ways to terminological challenges. In doing so, it is engaged in a dual path and is constantly mediating between the necessity to adapt to the exigencies of modern technical and scientific communication on one hand while maintaining the integrity of its lexical system on the other hand. Claims that is falling short of expressing modern knowledge do not seem to be justified. Proof to the contrary is provided by the huge number of terms constantly created by various actors in all scientific and technical fields. But to be more effective, these efforts need to be better coordinated and validated outputs effectively disseminated. Follow-up mechanisms need to be put in place at different levels to ensure that the appropriate modes of creation are harmonized and that valid outputs are effectively used by originators of scientific and technical documentation.