Lowlands-L Anniversary Celebration

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About the story
What’s with this “Wren” thing?
   The oldest extant version of the fable we are presenting here appeared in 1913 in the first volume of a two-volume anthology of Low Saxon folktales (Plattdeutsche Volksmärchen “Low German Folktales”) collected by Wilhelm Wisser (1843–1935). Read more ...

اللغة العربية
Luġah ‘arabiyyah

Arabic




Archways in the Lions’ Court (Patio de los Leones),
Alhambra (Al Ħamrā) Palace, Granada, Spain—
Not even the fiercest anti-Islamic sentiments of the
Christian-led reconquerers of Andalusia (Al-Andalus)
could bring themselves to destroying the most
magnificent Arabic artistic heritage, much of which
contains Qur’ānic verses in decorative Arabic
script work.

Language information: Arabic is one of the most widely used language in the world. It is used in many countries as a first language and in even more countries as a foreign language. The classical literary dialect of the Holy Qur’ān (Koran), the sacred scriptures of Islam, serves as the common and sacred language throughout the Islamic world.
     The vast majority of Arabic speakers are Moslems, but there are sizeable Christian, Druse and Jewish Arabic-speaking communities as well.
     Arabic has had enormous influences on other languages used throughout the Islamic world and in neighboring areas.
     Arabic has numerous local spoken varieties. A uniting element among all Arabic speakers is a literary Arabic dialect that, derived from Qur’ānic Arabic (Al-Luġatu-l-‘Arabiyyatu-l-Fuşħā “the most eloquent Arabic language”), is used as a secondary language variety in writing, in oratory and in international communication.
     Among the colloquial varieties of Arabic the following are considered most prominent:

Dialect Groups Areas
Andalusian: Southern Spain and Portugal (extinct but of literary importance)
Eastern Arabian: Eastern Saudi Arabia, Western Iraq, Eastern Syria, Eastern Jordan, Oman
Egyptian: Egypt (widely understood due to media)
Gulf (Khalījī): Bahrain, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman
Hassānīya: Mauritania, Western Sahara
Hijazi: Saudi Arabia (west coast and north), Eastern Jordan, Western Iraq
Iraqi: Iraq, Iran
Levantine: Lebanon, Palestine, Western Syria, Western Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus (Maronite)
Maghreb: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Libya, Malta*
Najdi: Najd region of Saudi Arabia
North Syrian: Northern Syria, Southeastern Turkey
Sudanese: Sudan, Chad
Yemeni: Yemen, Southern Saudi Arabia
   

              * Of all varieties, Maltese is the only one that attained separate language status.

      Arabic is usually written using the Arabic script. The Arabic script developed from the North Arabian script which was derived from the Nabatean script, and the Nabatean script goes back to the Old Aramaic script from which also the Hebrew script descended. Short vowels are not represented in ordinary writing, only in the Holy Qur’ân, in some poetry and in certain types of textbooks. Judeo-Arabic (Il-Luġa Dyalna “our language,” in Morocco Il-‘Arabiyya Dyalna “our Arabic”) tends to be written by means of an extended version of the Hebrew script.
     Probably in great part due to Judaic-derived Islamic prohibition or reluctance regarding the depiction of human beings, often expanded to include the depiction of all creatures, ALL languages and dialects are beautiful, precious gifts. So cherish yours and others! Share them with the world!Islamic art developed ornamental art to extraordinary heights, emanating primarily from visual embellishment of Islamic architecture, scriptures and accompanying written works. This includes the Arabic script, for which numerous calligraphic traditions and high, universally appealing esthetic standards have been developed.

Genealogy: Afro-Asiatic > Semitic > Central > South > Arabic

Historical Lowlands language contacts: English


    Click to open the translation: [Click]Click here for different versions. >

Author: Reinhard F. Hahn


© 2011, Lowlands-L · ISSN 189-5582 · LCSN 96-4226 · All international rights reserved.
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