Methods of Forming Arabic Terms in the Context of Media Language

Abstract

Specific terminology in the media field plays a vital role in ensuring accurate, clear, and effective communication. As knowledge, technology, and the media industry evolve, every language—Arabic included—faces the challenge of creating new terms that meet contemporary communicative needs. Appropriate methods are therefore required to ensure that newly formed terms conform to the structural and semantic principles of Arabic. This study identifies and analyzes how Arabic media terms are formed, using forty terms beginning with the letter “A” drawn from the Mustalahat I‘lamiah dictionary compiled by Dr. Hamid Ja’id. A qualitative content analysis approach was employed. The findings show that Ishtiqaq (derivation), Tarkib (compounding), Al-Nahat (blending), Ta’rib (Arabization), and Sawabiq wa Lawahiq (affixation) are the dominant formation methods, with Ishtiqaq accounting for half of the sample. This study contributes to the development of Arabic media terminology and reinforces Arabic’s role as a precise, adaptable medium of communication amid globalization.