Farhang-e-Asifiya explained

Farhaṅg-i Āṣafiyya
Language:Urdu
Country:British India
Genre:Dictionary
Pub Date:January 1901 (1st edition)
Orig Lang Code:ur
Location:Lahore
Editor:M. Saiyid Ahmad Dehlvi
Publisher:Rifāh-i Ām Press (Lahore)
Native External Host:Internet Archive
Native External Url:https://archive.org/details/FarhangAsifiya

Farhang-e-Asifiya is an Urdu-to-Urdu dictionary compiled by Syed Ahmad Dehlvi.[1] It has more than 60,000 entries in four volumes.[2] It was first published in January 1901 by Rifah-e-Aam Press in Lahore, present-day Pakistan.[3] [4]

History

It was compiled from 1868 to 1898. This dictionary is believed to be the most comprehensive work of Urdu lexicon.[5]

Lexicography

There were Urdu dictionaries before this, but they described Urdu vocables either in Persian or in English (because of the emergence of British Raj). These dictionaries contained mostly common words and idioms and had limited extent.[6] This was the first Urdu-to-Urdu dictionary. During its compilation, Syed Dehlvi’s health worsened and he got into monetary issues. It was only completed with the support of the ruler of Deccan, Mir Mehboob Ali Khan.[7]

References

  1. Book: Hakala . Walter . Negotiating Languages: Urdu, Hindi, and the Definition of Modern South Asia. . 2016 . Columbia University Press . New York . 9780231178303 . 115.
  2. Book: Padhi, Pitambara. Reference Sources in Modern Indian Languages: A Study on Oriya Language. 1994. Gayatridevi Publications. 26. en.
  3. Book: Farhaṅg-i Āṣafiyya . January 1901 . . Saiyid Ahmad Dehlvi . Syed Ahmad Dehlvi . 1st . 4 . . 1 . ur . ur:فَرْہَن٘گِ آصَفِیَّہ . Internet Archive.
  4. Web site: farhang-e-asifiya . 2023-08-06 . Rekhta . en.
  5. Book: Datta, Amaresh. Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti. 1988. Sahitya Akademi. 9788126011940. 1042. en.
  6. Web site: Farhang-e-Asifiya . فرہنگِ آصفیہ . Urdu Gah.
  7. Web site: Farhang-i-Aasifiya: a dictionary reflecting cultural heritage. Parekh. Rauf. April 29, 2013. DAWN. March 12, 2019.