There are many interesting languages in the world, and Arabic is one of them. This language contains many special aspects, largely stemming from the rich Arab culture. With a large number of Arabic speakers, it is no surprise that many fascinating unique features have developed. From Arabic letters sometimes being misunderstood when translated into English, to the fact that Arabic has up to 14 different words to express “love”, we will introduce the 5 most interesting facts about this language.
Arabic is spoken in about 20 countries
This fact alone is astonishing! Although the number might not be precise, you will find on the Internet that there are about 20 countries that speak Arabic. According to Wikipedia, some countries share this trait with Arab culture.
According to the website’s description, 22 sovereign countries use Arabic as an official language. Some of the mentioned countries have Arabic as a second language, such as French and English. It is said that there are four unrecognized countries and territories that may exist and have Arabic as their official language. If you consider the latter case, there are more than 20 countries claiming Arabic as their language! One thing you might find shocking is that Arabic is also the 6th most spoken language. National Arabic Language Day was established on December 18, 2010, to honor Arab culture.
>>> The history of the formation and development of the Arabic language
Arabic has many different dialects
Like many other languages, Arabic also has dialects, but its level of diversity is truly special. This language originated from the Central Semitic language family and is closely related to Aramaic and Hebrew. These roots can also be found in Classical Arabic and Quranic Arabic, which are used in formal contexts such as the Quran.
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the most widely used version today, used in books, newspapers, films, and daily communication. However, each region has its own dialect, and colloquial Egyptian Arabic is one of the most understood dialects among Arabic speakers.
Interestingly, the vocabulary in different dialects can vary significantly, making translation from English to Arabic a major challenge for foreigners. This is also why Arabic is known to be difficult to learn. Nevertheless, this language continues to impress with its unique and fascinating characteristics!
Words from Arabic have influenced English
With a history of over 1,500 years, Arabic has blended with many other languages and regions. This happens naturally as languages evolve over time and through cultural exchanges. During this process, Arabic has absorbed elements from other languages and vice versa. Some familiar English words actually have Arabic origins, such as ‘algebra’, ‘coffee’, ‘ghoul’, ‘loofah’, ‘tariff’, ‘racquet’, and many others.
An interesting example relates to the letter “X” in algebra. In Arabic, “shay” means “thing.” This word was adopted by the Spanish and turned into “xay,” which later became the letter “X” we know today. This demonstrates the influence of Arabic in the field of mathematics. Furthermore, the Arabic numeral system has replaced Roman numerals in many civilizations.
Arabic has left its mark not only in English but also appears in Spanish and many other languages, exerting a strong influence in ways we sometimes do not realize.
14 ways to express love in Arabic
If you are in love, you will find this very interesting. In English, the word “love” can have many different meanings, but its usage is often not clear enough to distinguish levels or stages of affection. In contrast, Arabic expresses this in a more detailed and precise way, with 14 different words to describe each stage of love.
What’s even more interesting is that each word in Arabic not only describes the stages but also conveys different intensities of love. These distinctive emotions are portrayed by Arabic speakers as separate concepts. However, when translated into English, the depth of these descriptions can be somewhat diminished.
For example, the word we translate as “Passion” in English, in Arabic is called “al-shaghaf” (الشغافة). This word refers to the outer layer of the heart, expressing intense feelings of love when one feels “struck by love at first sight.” At a completely different level, there is the word “al-hoyam,” which is used to refer to the state of losing reason or madness caused by deep love. In other words, when love makes you lose your sense of self, this word is a perfect description.
Other interesting facts about Arabic
A unique feature of Arabic is that there are no capital letters. This means that in text, quoting or emphasizing content must use other means to substitute. This is an important factor to keep in mind when translating from Arabic to English.
In addition, Arabic uses a writing system called Abjad, in which only consonants are written out. So how are vowels represented? Quite simply, they are implied through the pronunciation of the consonants. This requires the reader to master the alphabet to understand the vowel sounds. Furthermore, Arabic is read from right to left, completely opposite to the reading direction of many Western languages.
Arabic is a wonderful language!
As you can see, Arabic is not only rich in structure but also carries a diverse culture. This language is officially used in many countries and has a profound impact on other languages. However, translating from Arabic to English or vice versa is not simple at all!
If you need translation services for Arabic – English – Vietnamese, or have any questions about the Arabic language or culture, please leave your information so that Nuhaira can assist you.
See more:
The history of the formation and development of the Arabic language
Wide open for Vietnamese goods in the Middle East
Arab market: Are you missing the potential market of 422 million people?