Knowledge of Arabic will greatly enhance one’s ability to work and interact effectively with the rich and diverse cultures Arabic-speaking people. Ancient archeology and monuments in Arab countries and a vast body of literature adds to the significance of Arabic studies. Students of international business, political science, international law and the humanities can benefit tremendously from studying Arabic.
What is the Arabic Language?- · An alphabetical Language with 28 letters
- · Is written from right to left.
- · There is no difference between written and printed letters
- · The writing is unicase (i.e. the concept of upper and lower case letters does not exist).
- · Most of the letters are attached to one another.
- · The Arabic alphabet is an impure abjad
- · Has its own alphabetical characters
- · Of Semitic origin (root)
- · Spoken by about 186 million people in 28 countries
- · Considered a very difficult language due to its vast vocabulary and special grammatical characteristics
- · Can be classified into 3 forms:
- Classical Arabic/ The text of the Qura’an
- Modem Standard Arabic/ Standardized form of Classical Arabic used in all countries of the Arab world. It is used in printed material, media, and in all official delivery (speeches, radio, and television).
- Local dialects/ Form of language used in daily communication between common people.
