Root-Dictionary or Alphabetical Dictionary: A Methodological Dilemma

Lexicographers have always been faced with the dilemma of which method is preferable. Although the various methods developed by Arabic lexicographers over the years have reached a high degree of sophistication, the student of Arabic is still encountering many problems in search of a sense.

This paper attempts to examine the various methods employed, across history, assess their success or failure and broach the question whether or not there is any satisfactory solution to the problems created by the structure of the Arabic lexicon.