A historical overview of vocabulary lists

Abstract

Building vocabulary lists requires theoretical and applied references, and this reference is achieved by returning to theoretical and applied research work. Building a vocabulary list depends on linguistic criteria (such as frequency).
Other criteria are related to the goal that originally prompted the implementation of the list, and the type of list is determined according to the linguistic sample from which the work begins. For example, there is the spoken sample and the written sample, and the characteristics of the target group - when it comes to lists intended for educational purposes - affect the nature of the vocabulary and its features. The lists are an inventory of vocabulary selected from the general dictionary of the language, and this inventory is linked to the circumstances and time of the inventory, which means that constantly renewing the lists is an inevitable necessity.
Through these lines, we survey the most important global achievements in building vocabulary lists, with a special focus on the efforts focused on Arabic language lists.