A Practical Arabic Grammar.

GREEN, Arthur Octavius.

Published by Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1893

About this Item

First complete edition, the third overall, combining Parts I and II together for the first time. This textbook was written for officers serving in Egypt. This is an "eminently practical [guide], giving just what is required by military men or travellers without going too deeply into the language" (Trübner, p. 88). The first volume teaches the writing system and grammar. The second contains an answer key, selections from Arabic books, newspapers, and manuscripts, and an Arabic-English dictionary. "Two years after joining the Royal Engineers at the age of 19, Green (1847-1924), was posted to Bengal where he remained until 1878. In 1882 he was posted to Egypt. He fought at Tel El-Kebir, where he was severely wounded, perhaps using his convalescence to work on his Arabic book. He later served on the Nile Expedition. [The first edition of the present work] seems to have initially been produced to meet the immediate linguistic demands of the occupation" (Mairs, p. 266). Green also published A Practical Hindustani Grammar, and A Collection of Modern Arabic Stories, Ballads, Poems, and Proverbs. Rachel Mairs, Arabic Dialogues. Phrasebooks and the learning of colloquial Arabic, 1798-1945, 2024; Trübner and Co., "An Arabic Grammar", Trübner's American, European, & Oriental Literary Record, vol. 8, no. 5, 1887. Two vols, quarto. Text in Arabic and English. With 10 pp. of publisher's advertisements to rear of each vol. as issued. Original red cloth, spines lettered in gilt, covers bordered with blind rule, cream coated endpapers. Spine ends a little rubbed, a couple of splashes and stains, contents bright: a very good set.

Seller Inventory # 172067

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Practical Arabic Grammar.
• Publisher: Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1893