The Meaning of the Word project is being run by the Qur’anic Studies Unit in the IIS and is being organised by Dr. Stephen Burge.
This project will comprise two main events:

One of the most common exegetical tools in the interpretation of the Qur’an is the explanation of single words (i.e. lexicology, lugha, ‘ilm al-lugha). The basic intention of tafsir is to understand what the text actually means. Whilst lexicology is frequently regarded as playing a crucial part in the interpretation of the Qur’an, there are few studies of how exegetes approach these questions.

1. The role of lexicology in specific rflections on the Qur’anic text.
The aim is to understand how exegetes use the meanings and interpretations of individual words to support theological worldviews. Law, theology, philosophy, Sufism and Shi‘ism
are areas that would benefit from an understanding of how the language of the Qur’an and the use of lexicology is used to inform these debates.
2. The methods employed by exegetes when dealing with questions of lexicography.
How do exegetes approach the interpretation of words from a methodological perspective? The aim is to understand the methodologies of different exegetes, consider questions that arise from these methodologies and to place discussions of lexicology in a wider context.
3. Specific issues of lexicological concern.
Particular words or types of words often raise questions in the exegesis of the Qur’an, such as words of foreign origin, names of people and places, and words that only appear once (mufradāt, hapax legomena). How do different exegetes approach these questions?
4. The Translation of the Qur’an.
Translating the Qur’an raises very specific questions about what words mean. How do translators, both medieval and modern, approach translating Arabic into a different language? To what extent is translation an act of exegesis?