Abstract
Up to the end of eighth century, Arabic dictionarils were commonly specialized on certain subjects such as animals, rains, clouds and others. But these works were superseded by a more comprehensive dictionary when 'al-Khalil b. 'Ahmad compiled his Kitab al-'Ain.
This dictionary, being a land mark not only in Arabic lexicography but in the history of world lexicography, greatly influenced subsequent dictionnaries and the unique phonetic anagrammatical method devised by al-Khalil was imitated wholly or partly by many notable lexicographers.
The purpose of this article is to give an account and an appreciation of al-Khalil's efforts. The author discussed following problems.
1) The authorship of Kitab 'al-'Ain
2) remaining manuscripts of this dictionary
3) The phonetic-anagrammatical method devised by al-Khalil and his phonetic theory.
4) The illustrations to explain meanings and usages of words.
