Facts You Probably Didn't Know About the Arabic Language

Ahhh, Arabic! The dazzling gem of the Arab world has been captivating linguists and language lovers for centuries. With today being December 18, aka Arabic Language Day, we here at Gulf Moments decided it's time to unravel the enchanting mysteries and delightful idiosyncrasies of this richly expressive language. 

In this article, we shall take you on a soul-enriching adventure that will serve up some facts you probably didn’t know about the language. You’re welcome. 

Arabic is a semitic language

Yup, you read that right. Arabic is a Central Semitic language, and is closely related to Aramaic and Hebrew. Standard or Classical Arabic, which is also called Fusha, is the distinct form of the language used in media, newspapers, literature and other formal environments. Aamiya, which is colloquial (spoken) Arabic, has many shapes and forms that are used in ordinary everyday conversation, and it varies from one country to the other, and even town to town.

Arabic is the official language in 26 countries 

Believe it or not, Arabic is the seventh most spoken language in the entire world, amassing more than 300 million Native Arabic speakers. However, the total number of Arabic speakers around the world is over 400 million should you add non-native speakers. 

Arabic is unlike any other language 

In the realm of linguistic wonders, Arabic reigns as an actual enigma, barging in with a melody so unique when compared to other melodies.For example, Arabic calligraphy doesn’t just start from the right to the left, but it also looks visually and poetically delightful. Yet, beyond this poetic divergence, Arabic treasuries bear gifts unattainable (sorry, not sorry) by any other tongue. Among these hidden gems, we find the unstoppable 'ح', an 'h' sound (but not quite) that emerges as effortlessly as whispers of love caressing the soft evening breeze. 

Arabic is so ancient it’s one of the oldest languages in the entire world 

Steeped in the sands of time, Arabic stands as one of the truest custodians of ancient languages, a guardian of wisdom connected to roots that trace back to the earliest centuries CE. Many scholars believe that Arabic began to diverge from other languages around the time of the Islamic conquests in the 7th century. Thus, a language (and a star) was born, sculpting the foundations of numerous others. For example, Arabic was used as a lingua franca during the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization, and it has also been influenced by the holy Quran. 

Arabic has no capital letters

Instead, the length of any Arabic word is used to distinguish between words that are written in all lowercase.

Arabic, hands down, has had a big effect on other languages 

Did you know that some words like "coffee" and “magazine ” actually originate from Arabic? Arabic is a fascinating language that has influenced many other languages around the globe. One of its biggest contributions is the development of the alphabet, which is also used in Persian and Urdu. The Arabic alphabet evolved from the Aramaic alphabet and was first used to write Arabic during the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate which happens to have been between 661-750 CE. This alphabet has even had an impact on the Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek alphabets. 

Egyptian Arabic is the most popular and spoken colloquial version of Arabic

Egyptian Arabic, which is commonly known as Colloquial Egyptian or Masri, is spoken by a remarkable 109 million people living in Egypt. But, the language extends beyond the country's borders as Egyptian films and television programs are consumed not just in the country or the region, but everywhere around the world.