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The Arabic Language

The History of the Language

The Arabic language is the largest, living member of the Semitic Language family which developed in the Mediterranean Basin areas. It is related to Hebrew and Aramaic languages and its ancestry is located in Prato-Semitic roots. It has lent a great many words to the Islamic languages and has introduced a vocabulary of culture to European languages. It has also influenced European languages in terms of Maths, Philosophy and Science. Words that appear in the English language, are influenced by international trading, such as sugar (sukkar) and cotton (qutn), magazine, zero and elixir. Equally, Arabic has influenced languages such as Indonesian and Swahili in a similar way. However it is Islam which makes it a world language.

It is spoken in many Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon. It is estimated that Arabic is spoken by 186-422 million speakers and is the dominant language in around 28 countries from Africa to the Middle East. It is also, however, the liturgical language of Islam and studied throughout the Islamic world. Modern Standard Arabic (the official Arabic as it is now taught) is used in a formal way for official documents, education and communication between Arabic speakers of different nationalities. It is also spoken formally as colloquial variations of the language are found in different regions. This is because it is a language which is two tongued i.e. there is the presence of two distinct languages making it easier to adapt another more informal way of speaking from Arabic. Children learn both the informal language of their particular region and the formal Modern Standard Arabic which is both written and spoken whereas regional variations are usually only spoken.

Semitic languages differ from one another- they only share one characteristic that facilitates transition from one to another: reliance on verbs made up of three consonants (tri-consonant root languages). Simple verbs are extended and refine the verbal idea in different directions meaning that these languages are very much verbal languages. For example the word 'sharaba' (he drank) can be lengthened by elongating the vowel and adding a macron to mean to drink with someone. The word 'mashrab' refers to a place for drinking and continues to relate to the root. To simplify this use of verbs Arabic dictionaries often place words belonging to the same root in the same entry. The way sentences are constructed also differs to the English language as they begin with the verb, use the subject second and the object of the verb is placed after this. For example 'the girl wrote the story' would be constructed as 'wrote-the girl- the story.'

Useful Arabic Phrases

When visiting an Arabic country it is useful to know a few words in Modern Standard Arabic. A few polite introductory phrases might include hello (marhabbah) and a reply hello (marahabbeen) and say goodbye (tasharrafna). You could also introduce yourself Ismy. (my name is) or ask someone else theirs (Ma Ismok?). You could ask how someone is (kayfa haluk) and tell someone you are fine (biheyr). Other key words might include yes (naam), no (la), please (minfadik) and thank you (shokran).

When travelling an Arabic country some useful words could include city (madina), bazaar (souk) and shop (mahal).

When dining in an Arabic speaking country a few handy words are breakfast (futour), lunch (ghed) and dinner (askea). You could order in a shop or restaurant bread (khebz), water (beera), meat (lahm) and deserts (haeloo). And of course you could always ask someone if they speak English (Titakellem ingleezi?) or explain that you cannot speak Arabic, yourself (Ana la amarelle al Arabi).

Culture

There are many marvellous sights to see in Arabic speaking countries such as the pyramids in Egypt and the Persian rugs in Iran. Arabic culture is famous throughout the world, however, and literature such as The book of '1001 Arabian Nights' where Queen Scheherazade tells exotic stories to King Shahryar every night to avoid execution, 'The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor' and 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' are known universally. The history of the Middle East, the culture and literature make it a place of fascination for visitors.

Much of the intrinsic culture and values in Arabic countries stem from Islam where Moslems seek guidance in quests for truth in fields of knowledge, values, existence, reality, thoughts, behaviour and philosophy. It is a conservative culture where families adopt traditional gender roles and dress accordingly. Men wear a 'Thoub' (a long sleeved one piece) and women wear the equivalent Abayah (also long sleeved one-piece) with a Hejab (headwear).

There is a certain etiquette for visitors to follow if invited to someone's home. There is a meeting place in the home called a 'Dewaniah' where refreshments are served. When entering the house ensure that the soles of your feet do not point towards another person as this is an insulting gesture and ensure you do not leave your shoes on if other guests take them off. When greeted by the host say, 'Salaam ali kum' (peace be with you) but if women are present do not shake hands simply greet verbally. Do not bring anything with you as it is not customary but have at least one cup of coffee offered to you. Drink this with the right hand and when you do not wish to be served more, cover it with your hand or shake the cup slightly to indicate you have finished. If you are invited out to a restaurant, your host will pay and he and his son (if present) will not begin eating until everyone else has. They will also finish last to ensure guests do not feel they have to rush to finish food. If you return the compliment by paying for dinner after you invite someone to a restaurant this will be appreciated.

When on a business trip, rather than just visiting, it might be advisable to research the culture before you go. High pressure sales tactics do not work in this more relaxed, flexible system. When you make appointments with clients who usually extend a casual invite by asking you to contact them when you are in the area, ask them what you should bring. Ensure that translation is as direct as possible and that any literature is in Modern Standard Arabic. This is the language in which business is conducted. It dominates all written forms of Arabic and is recognised in all regions of Arabic speaking countries. Thus Modern Standard Arabic is a language used throughout the world and can be very useful to know when travelling or conducting international business.

Further Arabic Language references

Religious Education In Schools - RE Online is focused on providing resources to support teaching and learning in religious education....
reonline.org.uk

Our Islam - Our Islam provides information to Muslims on finding places to study Quran, Arabic, Tajweed or learn more about Islam. Find details on Islamic history, biographies, education and more...
ourislam.co.uk


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The Arabic Language

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