From Orality to Scripturality : Establishing Dictionaries, Lexicons, and Corpora of Oral Literature "OSEDLEXCOL"

Our project focuses on Algerian oral poetic productions, specifically the simple and elaborate forms of oral literature with cognitive, identity, and symbolic content. Our goal is to conclude this journey with an editorial project consisting of three volumes:
The first focuses on the female chants of Tlemcen known as "Hawfi" (the swing songs), including a bilingual anthology accompanied by a reasoned lexicon of terms used in the Tlemcen dialect, utilizing both lexicological and anthropological approaches.
The second is a semantic study of the dialectal poetic language of Sidi Lakhdar Benkhlouf and its link to classical Arabic language and poetry, highlighting the dominant vocabulary in the poet’s discourse.
The third consists of a bio-bibliographical dictionary of Algerian and Maghrebian popular "Melhun" poets since the 16th century, including a guide to their poems (qacidas). This dictionary aims to serve as a tool for future research categorized by poet, region, theme, or period, marking the first work of its kind in the Arab and Maghreb world.

Semantic, anthropological, historical, and comparative approaches will bridge the gap between dialectal linguistic phenomena and identity at various levels: individual (feminine/masculine poetry), social (urban/bedouin), national (common Algerian language), regional (Melhun as a Maghreb identity marker), and supra-national (the Arab-Islamic world).

Objectives:

- Establish a fertile scientific approach to intangible heritage, moving beyond ideological or folkloric frameworks.

- Provide keys and tools for understanding oral dialectal genres (women's songs and Melhun poetry) and knowledge of authors and works.

- Rehabilitate productions in the mother tongue (Algerian Arabic), a language resulting from the implantation of Arabic on a Berber substrate.

Actions Taken / Planned:

- Research and establishment of a general bibliography.

- Field investigation and collection.

- Screening, classification, and study of collected texts.

- Translation of texts, establishment of glossaries, and drafting.

- Establishment of a general index of poets by country.

- Finalization of the manuscript, lexicon establishment, and analysis.

Expected Results / Perspectives:

- Revalorization of the research field concerning popular culture and mother-tongue literatures.

- Attract young researchers and scholars from other disciplines to this field, helping them navigate a research terrain that remains largely unexplored.

- Provide cultural producers with a database for national and international valorization programs, as well as a source of inspiration for artists.