Terminology of Human Skin Diseases: A Study in Modern Arabic Dictionaries

Abstract

The present study elucidates the terminology of ailments specifically pertaining to human skin. It addresses the definition of "skin" according to both ancient and modern linguists, followed by an analysis of these terms within modern linguistic lexicons. The study then traces these terms back to their etymological origins in classical lexicons, clarifying the rationale behind their nomenclature. Furthermore, it provides textual evidence where available from the Glorious Quran, the Prophetic Hadith, and Arabic poetry spanning the Pre-Islamic, Islamic, Umayyad, and Abbasid eras. The research also tracks the semantic evolution of these terms and the shifts they have undergone over time, drawing upon modern scholarship on semantic change, while incorporating the researcher's own scholarly perspectives on the matter.