Boys' Games Mentioned in Lisan al-Arab: A Comparison with Contemporary Games

Abstract

This research explores the games played by Arab boys, their peers, and their servants in ancient times, from the pre-Islamic era to the eighth century AH, as documented in Ibn Manzur’s Lisan al-Arab. The study classifies these games into gambling games, games of skill, and entertainment games, then compares them with contemporary games. The findings reveal that some traditional Arab games have persisted to the present day, with most categorized as popular folk games and a smaller number recognized as Olympic sports, highlighting the universality of childhood play across cultures. Ibn Manzur provided varying levels of detail in describing these games, sometimes offering concise summaries and at other times more elaborate explanations. However, this inconsistency has resulted in gaps in our understanding of how certain ancient games were played, reflecting a notable limitation in the dictionary's documentation.