Arabic is among the most commonly spoken languages in the world. In fact, it is said to be the 5th most common language on the planet with around 300 million speakers. It is also believed to be one of the ancient languages; thus, has a great history. Here are some interesting facts about the Arabic language that will help you understand why most people find the language fascinating.
Two Versions of Arabic
There are total two versions of Arabic language i.e. Modern Arabic and Classical Arabic.
Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic is the official language and the holy book of Muslims, Quran, is written in the language. It is the most unadulterated form of Arabic. Till date, it is used to communicate during formal situations, and in publications such as newspapers, academic researches, and study books.
Modern Arabic
In comparison to classical Arabic that is most used in written context, Modern Arabic is primarily used by people in their daily spoken contexts.
The Sacred Language of Muslims
Arabic is a sacred language of people following Muslim religion. Before the holy book of Muslims, Quran, Arabic was mainly an oral language. But, now it is considered a holy language, and has thereby, become a chief language for Muslims.
Semitic Language
Arabic belongs to the Semitic language family, which also includes Hebrew and Aramaic languages. Further to the aforesaid, Arabic is the most commonly spoken language of the Semitic language family and is the official language of the Middle East countries and north of Africa.
Written in Script
The Arabic language is not printed, it is only written in scripts. After the birth of Islam, Arabic inscription became widely available, which made it a very popular language. In fact, Arabic is the second most widespread script in the world.
About Arabic Script
Arabic alphabet contains 28 letters and the language is written & read from right to left. On the other hand, numbers are written & read from left to right. This bi-directional nature makes the language complex. Arabic is always written in cursive, just like English handwriting. Also there’s lot of significance of dots in Arabic. Letters can be differentiated from one another on basis of dots. Adding a single dot by mistake can change the meaning of the word. Moreover, every word in Arabic begins with a consonant followed by a vowel.
Arabic Influence on English
Arabic language has an influence on the English language. Sherbet, magazine, algebra, cotton, mummy, and checkmate are some Arabic origin words used in English today.
Bottom Line
Even though mastering Arabic language is difficult, it is still among the most spoken languages in the world. If you are planning to expand business to the Middle East and are not familiar with Arabic, it is recommended to hire a translation service provider. Call 888-670-3369, to know more about the Arabic translation service.