Arabic is one of the most commonly spoken languages that has been around for at least 2,500 years. But what makes this fascinating language unique? We’ve collated and listed below 10 aspects of the Arabic language that are unique:
- Language of the holy Quran – meaning its is read by over 1bn people worldwide on a daily basis.
2. Written Entirely in Script – Arabic Script is written from right-to-left, in a cursive script with its own distinct calligraphic styles.
3. Three Letter Root System – this basically means Arabic words are derived from 3 letter roots, allowing for intricate word formations. For example, a three-letter pattern such as “ك ت ب” serves as the base for words such as كتاب (book) and مكتب (desk).
4. Diglossia – the coexistence of Classical Arabic (used in formal settings) and different colloquial dialects across the Arab world.
5. Unique Sounding Letters – Arabic has sounds that don’t exist in other languages. One of the most common examples is the ‘ح’ , which has something of an “h” sound, also referred to as a “breathy” sound.
6. No Capital Letters in Arabic – surprisingly, Arabic does not use any capital letters. Instead, quotation marks serve as a way to place emphasis on particular words.
7. Broken Plurals (جَمع التَّكْسِير) – Arabic exhibits a unique phenomenon of broken plurals, where the internal structure of a word changes when forming plurals.
8. Dual Pronouns – Arabic has a dedicated dual pronoun form to indicate exactly two people or objects. Furthermore, two males and two females have different pronouns (to distinguish between gender).
9. There are Over 24 Different Words for “Love” – you’ll be surprised by how many Arabic words are there for the word “love”. Each word for “love” describes specific stages of falling in love; from al-hawa (الهوى ), the attraction of an early romance, to al-wodd (الود) the friendly companionship.
10. Case System – another one for the grammar folks, Arabic has a robust case system, with three grammatical cases (nominative, accusative, and genitive) that influence word endings and relationships. If you are at the beginning of your Arabic learning, don’t worry too much about this.