Lexicographer nonpareil

If published, Amir Rizvi’s work would be the largest set of lexicons

When this monumental work sees the light of the day, Urdu readers will have the largest ever set of lexicons — six dictionaries spread over nearly 4000 pages are awaiting publication. Only, Syed Jafar Amir Rizvi doesn’t have the wherewithal to publish them.

A nuclear scientist by profession and a linguistic buff by passion, Amir has slogged for ten years to write the dictionaries on subjects which are totally new to Urdu language. Having accomplished the task, he is desperately looking for a sponsor to publish his works. His talks with the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) and the Maulana Azad National Urdu University in this connection have remained unfruitful.

Lexicography runs in his genes. His grandfather, Syed Tasaduqh Hussain Rizvi, authored the Loghat-e-Kishwari , way back in 1886; that still remains a popular reference point in Urdu. But what triggered Amir’s interest is Gossamer Years’ the tenth century classic of a Japanese writer, presented by his daughter. So impressed was he with the book that he wanted to translate it in Urdu. But when he sat down to translate he couldn’t get appropriate words in Urdu. “It was then that I decided to compile a comprehensive dictionary,” says Amir who served in the Department of Energy, US.

After retirement in 2007 he devoted his time and energy to writing seven dictionaries - Farhang-e-Amir, Farhang-e-Mauzoee (thematic dictionary), Farhang-e-Mutaradif and Mutazad (dictionary of synonyms and antonyms), Farhang-e-Qafia (rhyming dictionary), Urdu Lugath ki Tareekh (history of Urdu lexicography) and Farhang-e-Lisaan (linguistic dictionary). Of these only Farhang-e-Amir has been published; the rest await publication.

Salient features

What is unique about Amir’s lexicons is their encyclopaedic range. They not only provide information related to language and literature but are also a treasure trove of words for students and research scholars. For instance the thematic dictionary is a thesaurus in four languages - Urdu, Persian, Arabic, English. So one can find the meaning of a word in four languages at once. With more than one lakh words, the 1100-page lexicon is structured subject-wise.

Amir has fulfilled a long-felt need for a thesaurus in Urdu with a 2000 page dictionary. “Its benefits will be known once you start using it”, he says.

The Farhang-e-Qafia is also exceptional; it could be of immense help to poets in search of appropriate rhyming words. “Such a dictionary simply doesn’t exist in Urdu”, says Shujat Ali Rashid, a Urdu writer.


Apart from this, Amir has also penned Urdu and English poetry under the title Milak-e-Shairi and Distant Song, and has authored a Hand Book of Nuclear Science and Engineering on design and construction of nuclear power plants. What worries this 80-plus writer is the fate of his lexicons. He wants them published during his lifetime. Will someone come forward to help him?

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated December 07,2018