Usage Notes

Tested with :

Google Chrome version 23.0.1271.97 Internet Explorer 9 Safari 5.1.7

PC :

Vista or Windows 7 for correct viewing of Arabic script.

Android :

Android 4 for correct viewing of Arabic script.

iPad :

To avoid having your device turn off automatically during a long work session and thus having to repeat the Log In procedure it is advisable to go to Settings > General > Auto-Lock > Never.

Log In :

Use the on-screen Log In Button rather than the Enter key on your keyboard.

Log Out :

You should ALWAYS press the Log Out Button at the end of each work session so that you may re-enter the program smoothly without having to restore your password.

Audio :

Update Adobe Flash Player.

When multiple entries are called up in a word search shading is used to subdivide them into groups with a shared Arabic root.

Although Arabic roots normally consist of no more than 4 letters, the root search covers entries of up to 5 letters to facilitate the search for words of foreign origin (e.g., for "hitch-hiking")

Shading is used to subdivide entries into groups with related English meanings and, where possible, to juxtapose the groups in a loosely meaningful flow (e.g., the sequence from"tomorrow" to "virginity" in the Root Search for ). Where this is not possible truly disparate entries within a root family have been placed at the end of the sequence (see ).

Different semantic groups which share a common root (e.g., ) are set apart from each other.

Colloquial spelling is given preference, but in instances of possible ambiguity roots may be searched either by their colloquial or by their Modern Standard Arabic spelling. For example to find the root family containing ( yiwris, wiris = to inherit ) you may write either or .

In keeping with colloquial usage the only tashkiil used is the shadda. Although the shadda is usually omitted in unvowelled texts except where ambiquity might arise, it has been consistently employed in this dictionary. For example to find the verb "to put" write the perfect tense not .

In instances of orthographic ambiguity words may be searched either by their Modern Standard Arabic or by their colloquial spelling. For example to find occurences of the word you may write either or .

General Topics contains 240 categories covering most aspects of daily life.

Colloquial Expressions offers 50 thematic groupings of useful expressions.

The Index provides key words that lead into the categories of General Topics.

The Root Key, appears in the English and Category Searches and in the Archive.

In phrases containing several words the choice of which root to present on the key has been made with the aim of giving variety to the English Search. For instance the entry for "come" begins with the Root Key , but instead of repeating that button for the next 10 entries the Root Key is associated with another word in each phrase.

Complete conjugation tables are provided for 1000 verbs. Among these the 200 most common have full audio.

The conjugation tables are accessed through the English Search, the Arabic Root Search, or the Arabic Word Search.

By clicking the Conjugation Table Button one passes to the Verb Forms Page, where the relevant verb forms are listed each with a button that leads to the individual conjugation table.

Up to 100 entries may be chosen from the Audio pages to be stored in each user's personal archive for study purposes.

The Archive may be viewed with only the English or the Arabic column visible. Also the Root column may be alligned from alif to yih in order to place together entries with the same root.

The Root Key allows one to check the root family for associated words that might aid memorization.

Additions, especially colloquial expressions, will be made to the dictionary each month.