The Arabic Language

Arabic

Arabic has been the language of Islam since the 7th century. It is classified as a member of the semitic language family. It is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. During the middle ages it was a vehicle for scientific and philosophical culture. As a result many European languages have been borrowed from Arabic. The influence of the Arabic language is especially strong in Spanish and Portugese. Arabic is considered a macrolanguge with 27 different sub-languages.

Fast Facts

• Number of Speakers: Between 186 and 207 million native speakers
• Official language in: 25 countries including Libya, Syria, Sudan
• Major dialects: Egyptian, Arabic, Maghrebi Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Iraqi Arabic, East Arabian Arabic, Gulf Arabic
• Written Arabic: Classical and modern standard
• Read from: Right to left