لغة العربية

Overview

• Arabic is a Central Semitic language spoken by over 425 million people in 25 countries
• Official language of 25 countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Morocco
• One of the six official languages of the United Nations

History

• Originated in the 5th century CE in the Arabian Peninsula
• Developed from the Old North Arabian dialects
• Influenced by other languages, including Aramaic, Greek, and Persian

Scripts

• Written from right to left
• Two main scripts: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Classical Arabic
• MSA is used in formal writing, news, and education
• Classical Arabic is used in religious and literary contexts

Dialects

• Spoken dialects vary greatly across regions
• Major dialect groups: Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, and Maghrebi
• Dialects are often mutually unintelligible

Grammar

• Arabic grammar is highly inflected
• Word order is VSO (verb-subject-object)
• Cases: nominative, genitive, and accusative
• Verbs conjugate according to person, number, and mood

Vocabulary

• Rich in roots and patterns
• Words are formed using a system of trilateral roots and patterns
• Many loanwords from other languages, especially Turkish and Persian

Importance

• Sacred language of Islam
• Plays a significant role in Arabic literature and poetry
• Important for international communication and business in the Middle East and North Africa