ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I will trace the semantic history of with a view to how and when it was coined as ‘conscience’ in modern Arabic. Part of the focus will be on lexicographical evidences. Dictionaries summarise the evidence of a specific textual corpus at a given time, not as neutral observations, but as an interpretative effort in its own right. In the case of dictionaries from European languages into Arabic, entries may even function as innovative suggestions.
