About the Arabic Language
by Dr. Saghir
Arabic is one of the most important languages in our world, as it is spoken as a mother language by nearly 270 million people in 22 countries, and learned as a second or religious language by 800 million people. Arabic is written in its own alphabet derived indirectly from the Phoenician script, which is also the origin of Greek and Latin alphabets.
The written language of nowadays is not different from that of the sixth century A.D., although the spoken language has changed slightly and each region of the Arab world has developed its own accent and specific expressions forming the various dialects spoken today. The most important dialects are Egyptian, Shami, Maghrebi, Hijazi... Shami is spoken in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. The words of the songs, Sleep and The Chicken Song, are in that dialect, which is very close to the standard written language.
Here are some Arabic words with their meanings and pronunciations in English:
Below you can see some Arabic calligraphies...
