Malcolm Rivera
Arabic is a widely spoken language with a rich history and culture, and it is also the official language of 22 countries. As such, it is a highly useful language in diplomacy, with many diplomats and officials requiring language training before their diplomatic assignments. Arabic is written and read from left to right, and there are four ways to write each letter, as their form changes depending on their position within a word. Arabic dialects vary across countries, with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) considered universal, while other dialects are spoken in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Libya, and Sudan. Diplomats need to be able to communicate, negotiate, and formulate agreements, and Arabic language skills are essential for building cultural bridges and fostering understanding with the Arab world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Arabic is the official language of 22 countries | 22 |
| Arabic is the native language of over 200 million people | 200 million+ |
| Arabic is the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims | 1 billion+ |
| Arabic is written and read from left to right | N/A |
| Arabic is written across the sky, with more than 200 stars in the solar system having Arabic names | 200+ |
| Arabic is a pillar of cultural diversity, with many different dialects united under a single language | N/A |
| Arabic is an incubator of ideas and culture | N/A |
| Arabic is important for diplomacy and international relations | N/A |
| Arabic is useful for understanding the culture and everyday life of Arabic-speaking countries | N/A |
| Arabic is essential for diplomats to effectively communicate, negotiate, and formulate agreements | N/A |
| Arabic is used in diplomatic terms and vocabulary | N/A |
| Arabic is taught in specialized training programs for diplomats | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Arabic is an official UN language
Arabic is an official language of the United Nations (UN) and its six principal organs. In 1973, the UN General Assembly adopted Modern Standard Arabic as the sixth official language of the UN, joining the five previously established official languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese. Arabic is also an official language of the UN's specialised agencies, such as IFAD, which has four official languages: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
Arabic's status as an official UN language reflects its global significance and widespread usage. Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 400 million daily speakers. It is the primary language of numerous countries in the Middle East and North Africa, regions with substantial geopolitical importance in diplomacy. Moreover, Arabic has a rich history and cultural impact, influencing architecture, poetry, philosophy, and music.
The adoption of Arabic as an official UN language facilitates communication and engagement with Arabic-speaking nations and their representatives. Each country's representative may address the UN in any of the six official languages or in their native language, provided that they supply interpretation services into one of the official languages. This provision ensures that all nations can participate and be understood in meetings, promoting inclusivity and effective diplomacy.
The inclusion of Arabic as an official UN language also enables the dissemination of UN documents, resolutions, and communications in Arabic. Official languages are those in which all official UN documents are produced, ensuring that information is accessible to a broader audience. This accessibility is crucial for transparency, allowing Arabic-speaking populations to directly access and understand UN materials without relying on translations.
Arabic's status as an official UN language extends beyond the General Assembly to other principal organs and their subsidiary entities. These include the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and their respective committees and subcommittees. By utilising Arabic in these bodies, the UN ensures that its discussions, decisions, and outputs are communicated effectively to Arabic-speaking stakeholders.
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Arabic is the official language of 22 countries
Arabic is the official language in numerous countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is also the official language in several North African countries such as Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The spread of Arabic across these countries and beyond has resulted in a rich linguistic diversity, with numerous dialects and regional variations. While Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is considered universal, various dialects are spoken in different countries and regions. For instance, the Egyptian dialect is spoken in Egypt, while Levantine is used in Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Libya, and the Sudanese dialect is spoken in Sudan.
The importance of Arabic extends beyond the Arab world, as it is also widely spoken in the diaspora, particularly in Latin America and Western Europe. Additionally, Arabic is a recognized minority language in EU member states such as Cyprus and Malta, the latter being an official language of the EU.
Given the widespread use of Arabic and its status as the language of Islam, proficiency in the language is highly valuable in diplomacy, government, and politics. Diplomats often undergo language training to prepare for their assignments in Arabic-speaking countries, and knowledge of Arabic can be a significant asset for those addressing policies in the Arab world.
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Arabic dialects vary by region
Arabic is a Semitic language within the Afroasiatic family that originated in the Arabian Peninsula. There are over 25 Arabic dialects spoken globally, with considerable variations from region to region. These dialects are influenced by the original settler dialects, as well as local native languages and dialects. While Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is considered universal, it is not the primary language of everyday life. Instead, it is used in contexts such as writing, broadcasting, interviewing, and speechmaking. It is also used in critical communication, trade, business channels, literature, technology, medicine, and education.
The various Arabic dialects can be broadly categorized into three groups: Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and Colloquial or Daily Arabic. Classical Arabic is the language of the Quran and was used from the period of Pre-Islamic Arabia to the Abbasid Caliphate. It is prescriptive, following the syntactic and grammatical norms laid down by classical grammarians.
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the most widely spoken and known version of Arabic, used by Arabic speakers worldwide. However, its pronunciation varies across regions, and it is not always mutually intelligible. "Peripheral" varieties of Arabic, spoken in countries where it is not the dominant language, such as Turkey, Iran, and Cyprus, exhibit greater divergence in vocabulary due to less influence from classical Arabic.
Colloquial Arabic, or the daily spoken language, encompasses a wide range of dialects. Some of the widely spoken dialects include Egyptian Arabic, influenced by French, Greek, Turkish, English, and Italian; Levantine Arabic, spoken in Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Libya; Sudanese Arabic, used in Sudan; and Maghrebi Arabic, or "Darija," spoken by about 70 million people in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The Gulf dialect, spoken in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and parts of Saudi Arabia, has about 36 million native speakers. Jordanian Arabic is a continuum of mutually intelligible varieties of Levantine Arabic spoken in Jordan. Palestinian Arabic is a subgroup of Levantine Arabic spoken by Palestinians in various regions. Samaritan Arabic is spoken by a small community in the Nablus region, while Cypriot Maronite Arabic is spoken by around 9,800 people in Cyprus.
Additionally, there are sedentary and nomadic varieties of Arabic, often misleadingly referred to as Bedouin. The distinction arose from settlement patterns following the Arab conquests, with nomadic varieties developing into sedentary dialects over time. Some sedentary dialects are further divided into urban and rural variants, with phonetic differences, such as the pronunciation of the letter ق qaf.
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Arabic language training is intensive
Arabic is the official language of 22 countries and the native language of over 200 million people. It is also the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims worldwide. With such a wide reach, Arabic is a key language for diplomacy and international relations. As UK Foreign Minister William Hague emphasised, the ability to speak, read, listen, and write in a foreign language is fundamental for diplomats to truly understand the countries they work with.
Arabic language training can be challenging due to its complex grammar and script. For example, verb conjugation in Arabic requires memorisation of various formats based on the subject and the tense. Additionally, Arabic is written from right to left, and each letter has four different ways of being written, depending on its position within a word. These unique characteristics of the Arabic script can pose a challenge for learners.
To address these challenges, Arabic language training for diplomats is often intensive and comprehensive. The training may include small class sizes to foster a personalised learning experience. Instructors are typically native speakers, providing valuable insight into the culture and everyday life of Arabic-speaking countries. The training covers Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), considered the universal form of the language, as well as various dialects such as Egyptian, Levantine (spoken in Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Libya), and Sudanese.
The intensive nature of Arabic language training for diplomats ensures that they develop the necessary proficiency to effectively communicate, negotiate, and formulate agreements in Arabic-speaking regions. This training is crucial for building bridges between nations, promoting cultural exchange, and fostering fruitful international relations.
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Arabic is written and read from left to right
Arabic is a widely spoken language with a rich history and cultural significance. One distinctive characteristic of Arabic is that it is written and read from right to left. This direction of writing and reading is a key trait of the language and sets it apart from languages that use the Latin alphabet, which are written and read from left to right.
The origins of the Arabic language can be traced back over 2,500 years to the Arabian Peninsula, where the earliest form of Old Arabic, the Safaitic dialect, was spoken by nomadic tribes in the Syro-Arabian desert. This precursor to Arabic was predominantly written from right to left, influencing the directionality of modern Arabic script.
Another significant factor contributing to the right-to-left writing direction in Arabic is the influence of other Semitic languages, such as Aramaic and Hebrew. Both of these languages predate Arabic and are also written from right to left. As Arabic evolved, it adopted specific characteristics from these linguistic predecessors, including the writing direction. The spread of Aramaic, which was the official language of the Assyrian, Mesopotamian, and Babylonian empires, further solidified the convention of right-to-left writing in the region.
The right-to-left writing direction also has practical origins. In ancient times, writing from right to left helped prevent smudging the ink for right-handed individuals, who make up the majority of the population. This style has been preserved over centuries and remains a distinctive feature of the language today.
While Arabic is written and read from right to left, it is important to note that numbers in Arabic are typically written from left to right. This is because earlier mathematical notation aligned numbers from left to right to facilitate calculations, leading Arabic numerals to be written in the same direction as other Western scripts.
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Frequently asked questions
Arabic is the official language of 22 countries and the native language of over 200 million people. It is also the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims worldwide. Being able to speak Arabic allows diplomats to communicate, negotiate and formulate agreements with governments and people in Arabic-speaking countries.
Diplomats can learn Arabic through intensive language-training programs such as the one offered by Qasid. This program is highly specialized and tailored to the specific needs of diplomats, including relevant topics such as negotiation, public speaking, and document analysis. Diplomats usually learn Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is considered universal, but they may also need to learn a specific dialect depending on their post, such as Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, or Sudanese.
Arabic is written and read from right to left, and the alphabet can be intimidating as it is written in a different script. There are also four ways to write each letter, as their forms change depending on their position within a word. Verb conjugation is also important in Arabic and requires memorization of the format based on the subject and the tense.
