The Richness of the Arabic Language
By: Ala Abed-Rabbo/Arab America Contributing Writer
The Arabic Language
Global ResearchAround the world, 25 countries claim the Arabic Language as an official or co-official language. The countries are Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, and Yemen.
The Arabic Language applies in different forms depending on the context used. It is a Central Semitic language. Also, it similarly relates to Aramaic and Hebrew. Standard or Proper Arabic, Fusha, is the different form of the Language used in mass media, newspapers, writing, and other formal settings.
‘Aamiya,’ is the informal spoken Arabic, and it has many forms spoken in everyday conversation. It also differs from country to country and town to town. The various forms are applied side by side to provide distinct tasks in society.
Many Ways to Use a Word in Arabic
The Arabic Language is rich in conveying meanings of a phrase, and one word describes in many styles of articulation, meaning, and definition. For instance, for the word’ love,’ there are at least 11 words and hundreds for ‘camel.’
Besides, each of the Arabic words for love expresses a different point in the process of falling in love. The word ‘Hawa’ (attraction), for example, illustrates the first attraction towards another. The term comes from the core word ‘h-w-a,’ a transitory breeze that can increase and plummet.
Also, ‘Alaaqa,’ which comes from the main word (‘a-l-q), meaning ‘to grip on to’ which portrays the stage when someone’s heart begins to attach itself to the other, before progressing into a sightless desire ‘Ishq’ (desire) and all-devouring love ‘Shaghaf’ (affliction).
The last stage of falling in love, ‘Huyum’ (insanity), tells the entire mind loss of explanation. Remarkably, the most popular word for love in Arabic, ‘Hub’ (love) comes from the same root as the word ‘seed,’ which has the potential to develop into something charming.
Moreover, Arabic is said to have many words for ‘camel.’ For instance, ‘Al-Jafool’ means a camel that is terrified by anything; ‘Al-Harib’ is a female camel that moves ahead of others by a significant distance so that it seems to be escaping.
Terms and Their Meanings that Will Make One Love the Arabic Language
“As you’ll probably find when learning Arabic, it is a unique language.”
‘Oum’ (mother): In Arab Culture, mothers are significant figures. Thus, this word has meanings of high honor and respect. The word can also be added to the end of other terms to mean the mother of someone or the basis for a thing.
Moreover, ‘Nur’ (light) is a standard unisex name and is derivative in a few ways to praise someone or create multiple names linked to religion, like ‘Nur Allah’ (Light of God), or ‘Nur al-Din’ (Light of religion).
Also, the term ‘Qamar’ (moon) means a lot to the Arab people. It can be used as a female name, or if said ‘ya Qamar,’ by someone, it refers to the other as their moon.
In the Arabic Language, ‘Shams’ (sun) has been used in a variety of contexts. It is a standard female name and a name for places because of the connected brightness and glows it shines. It has also been used to describe performers, places, and spiritual perceptions of religions.
In addition, in the Arabic language, ‘Salam’ is among the modest but most potent terms. It means ‘peace’ and is used to greet guests or strangers on the street as a sign of respect and good intents. Arabs also use it at the end of their chat with someone to say their farewells.
The Arabic Language is Unique
MediumArabic is a difficult language because its writing system does not follow an alphabet but an abjad. The user of the language is required to deliver the vowels using vowel marks through the abjad system, which is a writing structure where each letter, symbol, and glyph that stands for a consonant and not a vowel.
Just like other Semitic languages, Arabic has a complex and uncommon system of creating words from a basic root. For instance, a form of three letters, ‘k-t-b,’ will always be the basis of words that have the semantic field of ‘writing,’ like the work ‘kitaab’ (a book) and ‘maktab’ (a desk or office). It conveys a deepness of both connotation and emotion matchless by many languages.
Arabic has been spoken for at least 1,500 years. “Arabic literature has a great old history. The history of Arabic literature goes back to 16 centuries ago. It actually began in the Arabian Peninsula!”
English Contains many Terms of Arabic Origin
English has many words that came either directly or indirectly from Arabic words that were introduced into Romance languages before transiting into English with words like algebra, algorithm, and cotton. The number system used today was also presented to Europeans by Arab traders.