https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Arvind_Kumar_%28lexicographer%29Arvind Kumar (lexicographer) - Revision history2026-11-03T23:00:47ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arvind_Kumar_(lexicographer)&diff=487734&oldid=prevPickleballexpert: adding new bio - done2025-10-15T00:27:47Z<p>adding new bio - done</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian journalist, art-drama-film critic, short story writer, translator, lexicographer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}<br />
<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| image = Arvind Kumar, 2019, New Delhi.jpg<br />
| name = Arvind Kumar<br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date text | 17 January 1930}}<br />
| birth_place = Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India<br />
| death_date = {{Death-date and age |26 April 2021 | 17 January 1930}}<br />
| death_place = New Delhi, India<br />
| occupation = {{Hlist | Journalist | art-drama-film critic | short story writer | translator | lexicographer}}<br />
| years_active = 1945–2021<br />
| notable_works = {{Ubl<br />
| ''Samantar Kosh'' (1996)<br />
| ''The Penguin English-Hindi/Hindi-English Dictionary and Thesaurus'' (2007)<br />
}}<br />
| spouse = Kusum Kumar<br />
| children = 2<!-- # of children (e.g., 3); only list names of independently notable or particularly relevant children. --><br />
| family = <!-- Names of siblings or other relatives; include only if independently notable and particularly relevant --><br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Arvind Kumar''' (17 January 1930 – 26 April 2021) was an Indian journalist, art-drama-film critic, short story writer, translator, and lexicographer.<ref name="Cinestaan" /><ref name="Indrajit Hazra HT" /><br />
<br />
He has authored Samantar Kosh (published by [[National Book Trust]] in 1996), the first-ever thesaurus in Hindi or any modern Indian language<ref name="Gulf News The making of the first modern Hindi thesaurus" /><ref name="Cinestaan" /><ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words" /><ref name="HT Samantar Kosh" /> as well as a three volume bilingual thesaurus and dictionary, The Penguin English-Hindi/ Hindi-English Thesaurus & Dictionary (published by Penguin India in 2007)<ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words" /><ref name="The Hindu Builder of Word Power">{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Kuldeep |title=Builder of word power |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/builder-of-word-power/article7065216.ece |access-date=3 October 2022 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name="Indrajit Hazra HT" /> which has 2,823,630<ref name="Aaj Tak" /> English and Hindi words.<br />
<br />
He digitized his works on Arvind Lexicon, a database published online in 2011 and accessible via subscription. This database is a repository of one million expressions in English and Hindi.<ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words" /><ref name="The Hindu Builder of Word Power" /><ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /><br />
<br />
Prior to publishing his lexicographical works, Arvind worked as Executive Editor of Delhi Press group magazines<ref name="Bharat Darshan - Meeta Lall" /> Sarita, Mukta and Caravan<ref name="Aaj Tak" /> (1953-1963), Founder-Editor of [[The Times of India]] group’s Hindi film magazine Madhuri (1963-1978),<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith">{{cite web |title=Wonderful Wordsmith |url=https://motherandsriaurobindo.in/nvgtr.php?pguri=_StaticContent/SriAurobindoAshram/-09%20E-Library/-06%20Authors%20from%20Other%20Centers/Arvind%20Kumar/-01%20English/Wonderful%20Wordsmith.htm |website=The Mother and Sri Aurobindo |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="Cinestaan" /> and Founder-Editor of the Hindi edition of The Reader’s Digest, Sarvottam (1980-1985)<ref name="Gulf News The making of the first modern Hindi thesaurus">{{cite news |last1=Pathak |first1=Nilima |title=The making of the first modern Hindi thesaurus |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/the-making-of-the-first-modern-hindi-thesaurus-1.1317459 |access-date=3 October 2022 |publisher=Gulf News}}</ref><br />
<br />
His autobiography, ''ShabdVedh'', was published in 2016 and released at the Jaipur Literature Festival.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Malhotra |first1=Vibha |title=Jaipur Literature Festival 2016 : A Great Place to Recharge One's Creativity |url=https://www.travellingcamera.com/2016/01/jaipur-literature-festival-2016.html |website=Travelling Cameras |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="DailyO Penguin Shabdvedha" /><br />
<br />
A documentary film based on Arvind's life and lexical works, ''Thesaurus Man - Arvind Kumar'', was released on YouTube on April 26, 2023.<ref name="Thesaurus Man Release The Print">{{cite news |first1= |title=Film pays homage to ‘Thesaurus Man’ Arvind Kumar |publisher=The Print |url=https://theprint.in/india/film-pays-homage-to-thesaurus-man-arvind-kumar/1540251/#:~:text=New%20Delhi%2C%20Apr%2026%20(PTI,when%20he%20was%20only%2015. |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref><ref name="Thesaurus Man Release Tribune">{{cite news |title=Life of ‘Thesaurus Man’ comes alive in documentary |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/life-of-thesaurus-man-comes-alive-in-documentary-501282 |access-date=28 April 2023 |publisher=Tribune India}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Early life and career ==<br />
Arvind Kumar was born in [[Meerut]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] on 17 January 1930.<ref name="Aaj Tak">{{cite news |last1=Pandey |first1=Jaiprakash |title=अरविंद कुमार, जिन्होंने हिंदी भाषा की समृद्धि, समांतरकोश के लिए छोड़ दी थी नौकरी |url=https://www.aajtak.in/literature/story/interview-of-arvind-kumar-who-wrote-hindi-thesaurus-know-about-him-638085-2019-01-16 |access-date=3 October 2022 |publisher=Aaj Tak}}</ref><ref name="HT Death Announcement" /><br />
<br />
Arvind began his education in the local municipality school, and then Vaishya school, where he studied till class VIII. When dire economic circumstances compelled the family to move to Delhi, he completed Matriculation in Khalsa High School in Karol Bagh’s Gurudwara, obtaining distinction in four subjects.<ref name="Aaj Tak" /> Despite being offered a scholarship, household circumstances did not permit him to study further, and at the age of 15, he began to work in [[Delhi Press]], as an assistant to the compositor in the printing press.<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /><ref name="Setup mag">{{cite web |last1=Sharma |first1=Anurag |title=साक्षात्कार: हिंदी के विख्यात सम्पादक अरविंद कुमार |url=https://www.setumag.com/2017/07/Arvind-Kumar-Sarvottam-Madhuri.html |website=setupmag.com |publisher=Setu Magazine |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
Over the next ten years, he worked in almost every department of the press as a compositor, machine man, binder, block maker, cashier, typist and proofreader and completed his BA (1953) and MA English (1955) from [[Panjab University]].<ref name="HT Death Announcement">{{cite news |title=लाला के बाजार के रहने वाले थे शब्दाचार्य अरविन्द कुमार |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/meerut/story-arvind-kumar-was-a-resident-of-lala-39-s-market-4001118.html |access-date=4 October 2022 |date=2021-04-28}}</ref><ref name="Setup mag" /><ref name="SwarAalap Madhuri" /> By 1955, Arvind had become Executive Editor for Hindi, English and Urdu magazines published by Delhi Press group including [[Sarita (magazine)]], Mukta and [[The Caravan]].<ref name="Aaj Tak" /><ref name="Setup mag" /><br />
<br />
Often in translating stories from Hindi to English, it would be difficult for Arvind to find the correct words and it was during these days that a friend introduced Arvind to [[Roget’s Thesaurus]]; he could not find an equivalent lexicographical work in Hindi.<ref name="Aaj Tak" /><br />
<br />
Arvind then moved to Mumbai to launch Madhuri.,<ref name="Cinestaan">{{cite web |title=Veteran wordsmith and former editor Arvind Kumar dies at 91 |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2021/apr/28/29573/veteran-wordsmith-and-former-editor-arvind-kumar-dies-at-91 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922075642/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2021/apr/28/29573/veteran-wordsmith-and-former-editor-arvind-kumar-dies-at-91 |url-status=live |archive-date=22 September 2022 |website=Cinestaan |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="Aaj Tak" /> The Times of India Group’s new Hindi film magazine (1963-1978) Madhuri steered clear of all gossip content.<ref name="SwarAalap Madhuri">{{cite news |last1=Srivastava |first1=Sanjeev |title=उस युग पुरुष के कितने रूप – संपादक, अनुवादक, कोशकार: अरविंद कुमार |url=https://www.swaraalap.com/the-luminaries/%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%B8-%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%97-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B7-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%AA/ |access-date=4 October 2022}}</ref> It taught its readers to appreciate every aspect of film making as well as world cinema and regional cinema.<ref name="Setup mag" /><ref name="SwarAalap Madhuri" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ravikant |title=Popular Cinephilia in North India |journal=Journalism Studies |date=2015-08-03 |volume=16 |issue=5 |page=2 |doi=10.1080/1461670X.2015.1054161 |url=https://www.csds.in/uploads/custom_files/1526967205_1526554153_Popular%20Cinephilia%20in%20North%20India.pdf |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
Arvind also launched Sarvottam, the Hindi edition of the international magazine Reader’s Digest, from Delhi (1980-1985).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mohan |first1=G |title=The Reader's Digest completes 100 years |url=https://secondtake.wordpress.com/2022/04/25/the-readers-digest-completes-100-years/ |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="Aaj Tak" /><br />
<br />
== Lexicography ==<br />
He resigned from Madhuri in 1978<ref name="Jansatta Arvind Kumar">{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=वह अविस्मरणीय रात |url=https://www.jansatta.com/duniya-mere-aage/jansatta-editorial-that-memorable-night/11666/ |access-date=4 October 2022 |publisher=Jansatta |date=2014-12-30}}</ref> to fulfil his dream of making a thesaurus in Hindi and spent 20 years researching, authoring and compiling the first-ever thesaurus in Hindi Samantar Kosh which was published by the National Book Trust India in 1996.<ref name="Aaj Tak" /><ref name="ForwardPress">{{cite news |title=हिंदी साहित्य जगत को थिसॉरस का तोहफा देने वाले अरविंद कुमार का निधन |url=https://www.forwardpress.in/2021/04/news-this-week-1-hindi/ |access-date=4 October 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
Arvind with his wife Kusum presented the first copy of Samantar Kosh to the President of India, Dr [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]] on 13 December 1996.<ref name="HT Samantar Kosh">{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Manoj |title=Veteran wordsmith who created world's first Hindi thesaurus |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/veteran-wordsmith-who-created-world-s-first-hindi-thesaurus/story-2Wfkqcwk6gSbbCGQO8ICCK.html |access-date=22 September 2022 |publisher=Hindustan Times}}</ref> Published in India’s Golden Jubilee year of Independence, Samantar Kosh has been reprinted six times and has sold more than 20,000 copies. [[The Hindu]] described Samantar Kosh as "vastly inclusive, user friendly and a golden dot on Hindi’s forehead."<ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words" /><ref name="HT Samantar Kosh" /><br />
<br />
After the release of Samantar Kosh, Arvind then began work on developing a bilingual thesaurus to link Hindi with English.<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /> And eleven years later, the three-volume Penguin English-Hindi/Hindi-English Thesaurus & Dictionary with five and a half lakh expressions was published by Penguin India in 2007.<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /><ref name="DailyO Penguin Shabdvedha">{{cite web |last1=Jha |first1=Srishti |title=Art & CultureWhen India's thesaurus man gave JLF a world bank of words |url=https://www.dailyo.in/arts/jlf2016-jaipur-literature-festival-arvind-kumar-shabdveda-thesaurus-lexicography-hindi-english-8621 |website=DailyO |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="Indrajit Hazra HT" /> This Work is 3,154 pages long, the three volumes weigh 5&nbsp;kg and are a home for 500,000 expressions.<ref name="HT Samantar Kosh" /><br />
<br />
In addition to these two works, Arvind has compiled Arvind Sahaj Samantar Kosh, the first alphabetical Hindi thesaurus; Shabdeshwari, a thesaurus of Indian mythological names – the first-ever in any language; Brihat Samantar Kosh, a revised and extended edition of Samantar Kosh; Arvind Word Power: English-Hindi,<ref name="The Hindu Builder of Word Power" /> a ready reference alphabetical dictionary, thesaurus and mini-encyclopedia, and Arvind Tukant Kosh, a book of 57,000 rhyming words.<ref name="SwarAalap Madhuri" /><br />
<br />
All of Arvind’s lexicographical can be found in his web-based database, Arvind Lexicon,<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /> comprising a total of 1,012,754 Hindi and English expressions and words.<ref name="Bharat Darshan - Meeta Lall">{{cite web |last1=Lall |first1=Meeta |title=Arvind Kumar and his lexicographic works |url=https://bharatdarshan.co.nz/magazine/articles/599/arvind-lexixon.html |website=Bharat Darshan |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Published works ==<br />
=== Lexical works by Arvind Kumar (in order of publication) ===<br />
* Samantar Kosh:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Samantar Kosh |publisher=National Book Trust India |isbn=8123719515 |url=http://nehrumemoriallibrary.informaticsglobal.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=79314 |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref> thesaurus of Hindi words and expressions, published by National Book Trust 1996<br />
* Shabdeshwari:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Shabdeshwari |year=1999 |publisher=Rajkamal Prakash |isbn=9788171788477 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GojXAAAAMAAJ |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref> thesaurus of Indian mythological names, published by Rajkamal Prakashan 1999<br />
* Arvind Sahaj Samantar Kosh<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Arvind Sahaj Samantar Kosh |publisher=Rajkamal Prakashan |isbn=9788126718450 |url=https://rajkamalprakashan.com/arvind-sahaj-samantar-kosh.html/ |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref>]: alphabetical thesaurus in Hindi, published by Rajkamal Prakashan 2005<br />
* The Penguin English-Hindi/Hindi-English Thesaurus and Dictionary:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=The Penguin English-Hindi Dictionary and Index |year=2007 |publisher=Penguin India |isbn=9780143102601 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VrCDzQEACAAJ |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref> bilingual thesaurus and dictionary in Hindi and English, published by Penguin India 2007; Arvind Linguistics LLP 2011<br />
* Brihat Samantar Kosh:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Brihat Samantar Kosh |date=January 2006 |publisher=Rajkamal Prakashan |isbn=9788126711031 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gh-jHmzt0l8C |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref> Comprehensive India-centric International Hindi Thesaurus, published by National Book Trust 2013<br />
* Arvind Word Power:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Arvind Word Power |year=2015 |publisher=Arvind Linguistics Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=9788192496627 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C34ojwEACAAJ |access-date=3 October 2022}}</ref> English-Hindi: An alphabetical dictionary cum thesaurus, published by Arvind Linguistics LLP 2015<br />
* Arvind Tukant Kosh:<ref name="Arvind Tukant Kosh">{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Arvind Tukant Kosh |publisher=Arvind Linguistics Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=8192496635 |url=https://www.amazon.in/Arvind-Tukant-Kosh-Hindi/dp/B01MZHC6N3 |access-date=5 October 2022}}</ref> A pocketbook of 57,000 rhyming words, published by Arvind Linguistics LLP 2015<br />
* Arvind Lexicon Online:<ref name="Arvind Lexicon">{{cite web |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Arvind Lexicon Online |url=http://arvindlexicon.com/registration-needed/?ReturnUrl=/Pages/ArvindLexiconHTML.aspx&info=Please+Login+or+Register+to+Access+the+Lexicon |publisher=Arvind Linguistics LLP |access-date=5 October 2022}}</ref> a bilingual Hindi-English-Hindi thesaurus, with a choice of using Hindi in Roman script (for those who can’t read or type Hindi)<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /><br />
<br />
=== Other works by Arvind Kumar (in order of publication) ===<br />
* Vikram Saindhav:<ref name="Vikram Saindhav">{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Vikram Saindhav |publisher=Rastriya Natya Vidyalaya |url=https://opac.rgu.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=64795 |access-date=4 October 2022}}</ref> A Hindi verse adaptation of Julius Caesar set in the background of Indus Valley civilization. Published by National School of Drama 1998<br />
* English-Hindi Julius Caesar:<ref name="Aaj Tak" /> A Hindi verse translation juxtaposed with William Shakespeare’s original text. Published by Radhakrishna Prakashan 2000<br />
* Sahaj Geeta:<ref name="Sahaj Geeta Book Link">{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Sahaj Geeta |publisher=Rajkamal Prakashan |isbn=8171196063 |url=https://koha.moes.gov.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=57767 |access-date=4 October 2022}}</ref> A Hindi prose translation of the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta. Published by Radhakrishna Prakashan 2000<br />
* Faust Ek Traasadi:<ref name="Faust">{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Arvind |title=Faust: A Tragedy |publisher=Bhartiya Jnanpith |isbn=812630765X |url=https://koha.moes.gov.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=62697 |access-date=4 October 2022}}</ref> A Hindi verse translation from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s original. Published by Bhartiya Jnanpith 2002<br />
* ShabdVedh:<ref name="DailyO Penguin Shabdvedha" /> An autobiography of Arvind Kumar. Published by Arvind Linguistics LLP 2016<br />
<br />
== Personal life ==<br />
In 1959, Arvind married Kusum and they have two children together, Dr Sumeet Kumar and Meeta Lall.<ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words" /> Kusum is a co-author for many of Arvind's lexicographic works.<ref name="The Hindu Builder of Word Power" /> Meeta is the CEO of Arvind’s publishing company, Arvind Linguistics, that publishes all his lexicographical works.<ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words">{{cite news |last1=Daftuar |first1=Swati |title=An endless road of words |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/an-endless-road-of-words/article3865497.ece |access-date=3 October 2022 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /><br />
<br />
Sumeet, in the early 1990s, realized the importance of computerizing Arvind’s fast- expanding database for Samantar Kosh. Sumeet organized funds for buying a personal computer and then, wrote the software for computerizing the cards, sorting them and creating print-ready pages of Samantar Kosh.<ref name="Indrajit Hazra HT">{{cite news |last1=Hazra |first1=Indrajit |title=English-Hindi-English: A love triangle story |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/english-hindi-english-a-love-triangle-story/story-iEt94XysMSaP843B0Jq4pO.html |access-date=3 October 2022 |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=2008-01-27}}</ref><ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /> He has written the computer applications for all of Arvind’s lexicographical works and has created the software for the web-based Arvind Lexicon.<ref name="The Hindu An endless road of words" /><br />
<br />
== Death ==<br />
On 26 April 2021, Arvind died of COVID-19 complications in New Delhi.<ref name="Cinestaan" /><ref name="HT Death Announcement" /><ref name="ForwardPress" /><br />
<br />
== Honours and awards ==<br />
* Hindi Ratna Samaan (Hindi Bhavan) 2018<ref name="NT Award Reference">{{cite news |title=Hindi Ratna Award to Arvind Kumar |url=https://navbharattimes-indiatimes-com.translate.goog/metro/delhi/other-news/hindi-ratna-award-to-arvind-kumar/articleshow/65262601.cms?_x_tr_sl=hi&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc |access-date=22 September 2022 |publisher=Navbharat Times}}</ref><ref name="Aaj Tak" /><br />
* Vishwa Hindi Samman (10th Vishwa Hindi Sammelan) 2015<br />
* Parampara Vishisht Rituraj Samman (Sahitya Sanstha Parampara) 2015<br />
* Shalaka Samman (Hindi Academy, Delhi) 2011<ref name="Wonderful Wordsmith" /><ref name="NT Award Reference" /><ref name="Bharat Darshan - Meeta Lall" /><br />
* Rashtrabhasha Gaurav Samman (Sansadiya Hindi Parishad) 2006<br />
* Subramanya Bharti Award (Kendriya Hindi Sansthan) 1999<ref name="NT Award Reference" /><ref name="Bharat Darshan - Meeta Lall" /><br />
* Dr Hardev Bahri Samman (Hindi Sahitya Sammelan) 1999<ref name="Bharat Darshan - Meeta Lall" /> <br />
* Akhil Bharti Hindi Seva Puraskar (Hindi Academy, Maharashtra) 1998<ref name="NT Award Reference" /><ref name="Bharat Darshan - Meeta Lall" /><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Arvind}}<br />
[[Category:Panjab University alumni]]<br />
[[Category:1930 births]]<br />
[[Category:2021 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Indian lexicographers]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century lexicographers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century lexicographers]]<br />
[[Category:People from Meerut]]<br />
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India]]</div>Pickleballexpert