Arabic (All Terms)

Most Arabic star names today root in translations of the Almagest from the original Greek language and misunderstandings in one of the steps of translation there or to Latin in mediaeval and Renaissance Europe. To separate these term from the original names used in the Arabian culture(s) prior to Greek influences, here we present two dictionaries: the Almagest-Arabic and the earlier indigenous Arabic.

Arabic is a Semitic language, spoken by the people of Arabia (the Arab people). Historically, the Arabic translations of ancient Greek designations and descriptions of stellar positions often led to the creation of star names: sometimes, the Arabic term was transliterated to mediaeval Latin without translation, sometimes it was misunderstood or misread. This way, indigenous Arabic (pre-Islamic, from Arabian regions) names for stars and constellations were transferred into European star catalogues and celestial globes.