The 10 articles of this volume offer current research on the definition and use of the concept of what a 'word' is in classical and current Arabic, with specific analysis of the terms kalima and za'ida, historiography of Arabic linguistics, and analysis of Arabic morphology, lexicography, and syntax. The last four articles discuss the Arabic word in contemporary linguistic theory and in contact, with individual papers on the automatic extraction of prepositions in a group of written texts and Arabic loanwords and calques in Bambara. Eight of the articles were presented in earlier form as lectures for the First Colloquium of Arabic Linguistics held at Roma Tre University in Rome, Italy in May, 2007 (where Lancioni is professor of linguistics). Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)