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Abu Mansur al-Azhari (Muhammad ibn Ahmad)

أبو منصور الأزهري (محمد بن أحمد)

Notable figure 282–370 AH / 895–981 CE · Source: Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli, al-Aʿlam, vol. 5, p. 311 (entry «الأزهري»; born and died in Herat; Tahdhib al-lugha), via turath.io · Second source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, «HERAT» (a historic city in western Afghanistan)

Affiliation

Lexicographer; author of Tahdhib al-lugha

Biography

Born in Herat, where he also died. He travelled in search of Arabic and lived for a time among Bedouin tribes, hearing their pure speech, then compiled Tahdhib al-lugha, one of the largest classical Arabic dictionaries; he also wrote al-Zahir fi gharib alfaz al-Shafiʿi, on rare words in al-Shafiʿi’s usage.