DERA GHAZI KHAN: At a workplace dealing with Arabic and other nationals in Saudi Arabia, one day Akbar Makhmoor started with the Seraiki letter ‘alif’ and its definition in Urdu and Seraiki. Now, after almost 30 years, Makhmoor has complied hundreds of pages of Seraiki words, their meanings, phrasal verbs, idioms, proverbs, synonyms and usages.

The unpublished dictionary, which he gladly calls ‘Seraiki Akhar Pooti’ or Seraiki dictionary, complied by Makhmoor has 115,000 words.

He has never been to a college or a university. A tyre repairer by occupation, Makhmoor is looking for government’s or private sector’s help to get his work published.

“One doesn’t need to be in a university or a library to compile a dictionary,” Makhmoor says about his passion.

“Words are not that much abstract. They are nouns. They are verbs. They are adjectives and adverbs. We can see them. We can feel them. We can perform them.”

He said he had compiled the dictionary at his workplaces in Saudi Arabia (1984 to 1994), and Dera Ghazi Khan (1994 to 2013).

The earlier Seraiki dictionaries are only Seraiki to Urdu and contain up to 36,000 or so words. ‘Seraiki Akhar Pooti’ by Makhmoor is the collection of 115,000 words.

How come he has discovered so many words?

“Well, I researched on several dialects of Seraiki in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and came across several such words in a locality which were unheard of or sparsely used in other areas,” he said.

Several words are on the verge of extinction because their users are a few old people. The dictionary contains ‘deehawn’ which means eyelids, ‘draab’ for roti, and ‘doondy’ means an announcement.

“These words made up everyday conversation until 40 years ago,” he said.

The earlier dictionaries have been compiled by Juke O Brian, Anees Jeelani, Sirajuddin Sawnwal, Mureed Hussain Jatoi, Qais Fareedi, Dilshad Kalanchvi, Shaukat Mughal and Saadullah Khetran.

“It’s a great job (by Makhmoor),” said Dr Ehsan Changwani, editor of Seraiki monthly Oota.

The author of 35 books and linguistic expert Prof Shaukat Mughal also acknowledged the work of Makhmoor. He said he had dedicated one of his books to the compilers of Seraiki lexicons, including Makhmoor.

He said the publication of the voluminous work was very necessary for the language and scholars.

Chief Editor of Saraiki daily Jhok and Seraiki nationalist Zahoor Dhareeja said the compilation of lexicon was the job of institutions but a labourer had accomplished this work with his passion. He said as 70 million people spoke Seraiki language, the Academy of Letters should publish the dictionary.

Professor Alamdar Hussain Bukhari, head of the Department of Seraiki Area Study, Bahauddin Zakariya University, also spoke highly of the work. He said his department had limited funds insufficient for the publication of the voluminous dictionary. He said he had sent an appreciation letter to Makhmoor. His department has invited him to speak to the students as guest.

He has got one such invitation from the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research of Quad-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

As more invitations are pouring in, Makhmoor needs funds to see his work on bookshelf.