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1. Historical introduction This entry refers to modern-day Jordan, as established in 1921 by the British. Initially it was a princedom designated to Emir (‘prince’), later King, Abdullah. During that stage, between 1921 and 1946, it was known as Trans-Jordan. It was also called ‘the East Bank’, referring to the River Jordan. The second stage began after the annexation of the Palestinian territories, or ‘the West Bank’, that were left unoccupied by the State of Israel in 1948. In 1950, the name changed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In the wake of the 194…

1. Academy precursors The first ‘academy’ in the Arab world was established by the French during the Napoleonic occupation of Egypt (1798–1801); it came to an end with the French exit from Egypt in 1801. There were several attempts in the 19th century, especially in Egypt and Lebanon, by enlightened scholars concerned with intellectual issues in general, and language matters in particular, to establish similar organizations. A serious effort was made in 1892/1893 when the first meeting of al-Majmaʿ al-Luġawī al-ʿArabī ‘Arabic Language Academy’ was held at the home of Muḥamm…