Arabic Language and the Computer: Arabic Linguistic Engineering

Abstract

This article introduces the computational possibilities available for processing Arabic as a natural language, particularly in research and education. It examines the methodological requirements for integrating Arabic into machine systems in order to enable interaction between humans and computers in Arabic. The article argues that advances in computer technologies increasingly approximate aspects of human cognitive activity, including work, thought, and expression, which makes language a central component of such developments. In this context, Arabic language processing is presented as a field of linguistic engineering that continues to evolve theoretically and methodologically. The article stresses the special importance of this relationship for Arabic, whose formal linguistic characteristics make it responsive to computational linguistic applications at several levels, especially morphology and syntax. It also discusses applied areas such as electronic dictionaries, optical character recognition, speech synthesis, machine translation, spelling and grammar checking, and computer-assisted education.