Combinatorial House of Wisdom
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Description
About The Book
A guided classical Arabic reader in the exact and rational sciences. The First Arabic Dictionary, the Rhythms of Arabic Verse, and the Invention of Algebra.
The combinatorial approach to scientific knowledge during the Islamic Golden Age began in Iraq in the late eighth century. Al-Khalil b. Ahmad al-Farahidi set out to find all Arabic words and invented a three-step method rooted in the combinatorial nature of the Arabic language itself to compose the first Arabic dictionary. He followed the same path to discover and generate all the different rhythms of Arabic poetry in their seemingly endless variety. His methodology influenced other scientists of the era. In the early ninth century in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, Muhammad b. Musa al-Khwarizmi adopted this approach in his invention of algebra as an independent science.
This book explores the core readings of al-Khalil and al-Khwarizmi and the essence of this unique combinatorial method of discovery. No other scientific writings of the age exerted a greater influence on the development of the sciences of the Arabic language and the scientific foundations of our modern world.
The selections in this guided reader are accessible to anyone with a knowledge of Arabic at the late second-year level. No other prerequisites are needed as al-Khwarizmi's algebra is presented without algebraic notation, just as its founder formulated it. Supplementary readings demonstrate the combinatorial method used by other thinkers of that time in the invention of cryptology and the analysis of the rhythms of Arabic music.
About the Contributor(s)
About the authors
Amina Moujtahid: Amina Moujtahid is a professor of Arabic and French languages and cultures with over twenty-four years of teaching experience in both disciplines. She currently teaches Arabic language, culture, and media at the University of Washington, where she brings her expertise in both linguistic instruction and cultural studies to her students. Her scholarly work spans the intersection of Arabic language pedagogy and cultural transmission. She co-authored Combinatorial House of Wisdom with Jeffrey A. Bennett, a work reflecting the intersection of classical Arabic intellectual heritage and modern linguistic scholarship.
Jeffrey A. Bennett: Jeffrey A. Bennett earned both his BA and MA degrees in Near Eastern languages from the University of Michigan, grounding him in classical and modern Arabic linguistics. He spent three years at the American University in Cairo, deepening his practical knowledge of the Egyptian Arabic dialect and the broader Arab cultural context. He contributed as a researcher to the Hinds/Badawi Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic, a major lexicographical reference work on Egyptian colloquial Arabic. His extensive time living and working in the Middle East informs his approach to Arabic language and culture. He co-authored Combinatorial House of Wisdom with Amina Moujtahid, bringing his expertise in Near Eastern languages to the project.
Specifications
EAN 13 / ISBN
9781733836333
Binding
Paperback
Publisher
Zaytuna College
Author
Amina Moujtahid and Jeffrey A. Bennett
Size
W- | H- | D-
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