Timeless Myths Logo
Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names
Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names

The Arab language: The Timeless Charm of This Beautiful language

Culture & People

The Arab language is a vital part of the Islamic faith. For 200 millions of people throughout the Arab world, it is their first language. Arabic was the language that was used to write the Qur’an, making the language a requirement for most Muslims.

Illuminated Quran

The language is distinct from many modern languages because it is largely spoken in a multitude of regional dialects that vary widely from each other.

In this article, thanks to the expertise of our researchers, we will explore the Arab language and its significance in the Arab world.

What is the Arab Language?

The Arab language is spoken today by over 200 million people in 28 countries throughout the Arab world and beyond. Its large use in Muslim countries descends from the fact that Arabic is the sacred language of the Qur’an. As such, it is the designed Muslim language, despite being the language of Arabs more generally.

The official formal language of the Arab world is Modern Standard Arabic, a direct descendent of Classical Arabic. While the written form remains largely consistent from country to country, the spoken language varies a great deal, taking the form of many different colloquial dialects.

Modern Standard Arabic, due to its derivation from the language of the Qur’an, is the purest form of the language in the eyes of most Arab people. Most educated people in Arab-speaking countries can speak or understand it fluently.

On the contrary, not many people speak Classical Arabic in the Arab world today. However, it is still the language used in the Qur’an. As such, it is the theological language of Islam. For this reason, Classical Arabic is still a school subject in most Islamic countries.

The first Arabic inscription that we know of dates back to 512 AD. Since the 6th century, the language has undergone a multitude of changes. The modern form of Arabic, called “Naskh”, appeared in the 11th century and has remained the primary form of Arabic ever since.

How Old Is the Arab Language? Roots and Origins

While there are many different theories on the origin of Arab language, most scholars agree that the language first originated in the northwest region of the Arabian Peninsula. During this pre-Islamic period, the language was largely spoken by Arabian nomads.

The Silk Road trade routes that passed through the northern Arabian Peninsula helped spread the language considerably. The diffusion mostly happened at the hands of Arab merchants. As a matter of fact, Mecca was considered a major metropolitan city in the region by the time of the Prophet Muhammed’s birth. The Quraysh dynasty controlled and governed the city.

By this time, the northwestern tribes of the Arabian Peninsula spoke several distinct dialects, but the Quraysh dialect of Arabic would serve as the prominent Arabic dialect of the Arabian Peninsula and its surrounding areas during the time of the Prophet.

Mecca was considered a city of immense cultural fusion during this period. Its location near important trade routes made it an ideal stopping point for foreign merchants and travelers. The city also comprised vast Jew and Christian populations.

Most importantly, it was a hotbed for interaction between different tribes and speakers of Arabic. This element fostered some degree of homogenization of the language.

The city became especially prominent for its Arabic poetry, which would gradually become an integral part of Arabic society. Many of these poems were recited publicly, so that Arabic poets continually borrowed from each other’s dialects and vocabularies.

The Arab Language and the Qur’an

From the year 610 AD on, the Prophet Muhammed became a preacher and orator throughout the city of Mecca, as he began to receive his divine revelations. After being forced to leave Mecca, the Prophet continued preaching and eventually took over the city and united the different tribes under the umbrella of a unique Arabian society.

The writing of the Qur’an, which occurred from 610 AD to the Prophet’s death, in 632 AD, is by far the single most important event in the history of the Arab language. Classical Arabic in which the sacred book was written became the central language of the Islamic religion. This further helped the diverse tribal dialects become more concrete and homogenized.

Arabian text

During the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, the language was dispersed throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Its diffusion was, of course, closely tied to its role as an integral part of Muslim culture, due to its use by the Prophet Muhammed and the Qur’an. The language even spread to European society, particularly in modern day Spain and Sicily.

Many consider this period — from the seventh to 11th century — as an “Arabic renaissance,” as the region saw a significant surge in Arabic poetry and writing. The Abbasid dynasty was an especially important time period for the Arab language, as it made it the esteemed language of Arabic education. During this period, the Arabic vocabulary grew exponentially while the Islamic Arab society became more and more complex.

The Decline of the Arab Language

The language began to go into decline during the 11th century when regional languages, such as Persian and Turkish, began to replace Arabic. This happened as invaders like the Mongols and Ottoman Turks began to take over Arab territory.

The language reached an especially low point during the four centuries of Ottoman control of the Middle East, as the Turkish language began to gradually replace Arabic in some parts of the Arab world.

The nineteenth and 20th century were marked by a gradual revival of the language, in particulars as Arab nationalism grew across the Middle East.

Dialects and Variations of the Arab Language

Though Modern Standard Arabic is used in formal situations, most Arab people use colloquial dialects of their language throughout their day-to-day life, based on their location or community.

The spoken Arab language has distinct dialects in every country, though the Egyptian form of spoken Arabic is considered the most prominent and well understood, as much of the Arab world’s media has come from Egypt. Besides the Algerian dialect, which has its own distinctive characters, all Arabic dialects are strongly influenced by the classical language of the Qur’an.

Written Language

The Arabic written language was created in the 6th century AD and is read from right to left. The script is written in horizontal lines and its alphabet contains 28 consonants. There are several kinds of Arabic script, with the “Kufic” and “Thuluth” being the most common.

Arabic script is derived from the Nabataean alphabet, which was used to notate the Aramaic Nabataean dialect. While creating their alphabet, Nabateans added six symbols for sounds that, albeit present in their dialect, weren’t a part of the Aramaic language.

While the Nabataean alphabet was exclusively composed of consonants, Arabs expanded the alphabet by adding dots below or above consonants to indicate vowels.

The Arabic alphabet includes 28 symbols, along with some additional letters for sounds that do not occur in the spoken Arab language. Each letter in the alphabet may have four different forms, depending on its place in a given word.

Inscriptions in the Arab language can be found throughout houses, schools, and mosques in the entire Arab World due to its decorative qualities. Many of the letters’ shapes allow for them to be joined together, to create ornamental motives.

Arabic letters are usually written in a simplified form when they are written by hand, and letters are usually joined in both handwritten and printed Arabic. Capital letters do not exist in the Arabic alphabet, and most letters can be attached to those that precede them.

Arab Language Family

Arabic is considered a part of the Afro-Asiatic group of world languages and is descended from the Proto-Semitic language, which was spoken in the Levant region during the Early Bronze Age. The Arab language spoken today is classified as part of the Arabo-Canaanite sub-branch of the central group of the Western Semitic languages.

The Arabic influence can be found in many other languages, such as Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Turkic and African languages. These languages used Arabic scripts and borrowed many words from the Arabic vocabulary.

The Persian, Pashto, and Urdu languages all adopted components of the Arabic script, in a mix called Perso-Arabic. The Turkish, Swahili, and Uzbek languages all borrowed from Arabic script before they adopted Latin or Cyrillic alphabets.

Due to the period of Arab influence in Portugal and Spain, many words that originate from Arabic are found throughout the two languages. Some English words also originate from Arabic, such as “algebra,” “tariff,” “elixir,” and “zero.”

Arabic Numerals

Contrary to popular belief, Arabs did not invent Arabic numerals, as they were actually developed in India around the 5th century. The use of these Indian numerals spread into Persia and eventually into Arabic trade routes.

While the arabic numeral system uses many different sets of symbols, the two main groups are West Arabic and East Arabic. The West Arabic symbols were created in the Maghreb, while East Arabic symbols were created in modern-day Iraq.

Arab Language FAQs

Is Arabic a major language?

Yes! Arab is the sixth most common language in the world for the number of speakers.

Is Arabic the oldest language?

While many other languages and dialects already existed in the world before the advent of Classical Arabic, the Arab language is indeed one of the first ancient languages that are still spoken today. In other words, even if it was not the first to be invented, it is one of the most long-lived languages in history.

Is Arabic in demand?

Absolutely yes. In the United States, there are many vacant places that require professionals who speak the Arab language. As of today, there are not enough people to satisfy this demand. Therefore, if you are still in college or are otherwise interested in learning this language, we highly encourage you to do so!

Is Arabic easy to learn?

Both for its complex grammar and difficult — albeit beautiful — calligraphy, Arabic is not easy to learn. For English speakers, it is certainly harder than Spanish or other European languages. However, with the right amount of commitment it is perfectly possible to learn fluent Arabic.

Is Arabic or Chinese harder?

This question does not have a univocal answer, as the ease or difficulty in learning a new language largely depends on your interest and commitment, and on the set of languages that you already know. However, experts deem Chinese as being harder to learn than Arabic, due to its complicated character system.

What other languages do Arabic countries speak?

Hebrew, Persian and Turkish are also widely spoken in Middle Eastern and North African countries. French is also widely used, especially in North Africa, due to French colonization. In older British dominions, English is still widespread.

Are Turks Arabs? Do they speak the Arab language?

Many people get confused when speaking about Turks and Arabs. To be clear, Turks are not Arabs. Rather, they descend from the Central Asian Turkic people, who then mixed with the indigenous inhabitants of the Anatolian Peninsula.

As such, their official language is Turkish. A minority of people speak Arabic, and ostensibly many Turks understand it at least well enough to be able to read the Qur’an and pray.

Conclusion

Quran covers

In this article, we went through many different aspects of the Arab language, from its origins to calligraphy. Let’s go over the central ideas:

  • The Arab language is the language of the Qur’an. As such, it is considered the official language of Islam.

  • The language has many different dialects that can vary greatly from each other, with the Alegian one being the most peculiar.

  • The language is thought to have originated in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula, largely spoken by Arab nomads of the region.

  • The language spread extensively across the Middle East and North Africa during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century

The Arab language is alive and well today, not only in the Middle East but also in Western culture, as more non-Muslims have begun to learn the language throughout the 21st century. The language is still a vital part of the religion of Islam. For this reason, most Muslims around the world are required to learn Arabic.

By Timeless Myths

Created: January 11th, 2022

Modified: March 16th, 2024

Arabs: Bedouins of the Desert

Arabs: Bedouins of the Desert

Arabs in simple terms refer to people whose native language is Arabic. In 1946, the Arab League defined an Arab as follows: “An Arab is a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic speaking country, who is in sympathy with the aspirat...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
Lebanese People | Inside Look At The Influential Race In The Arab World

Lebanese People | Inside Look At The Influential Race In The Arab World

Lebanese people share many of their cultural characteristics of the Arab world. Yet, it has attributes that differentiate it from many of its Arab neighbors. Read on to find out more about Lebanese people and their history. What is a Lebanese? The...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
Arab vs Persian: A Tale of Two Similar but Different Ethnicities

Arab vs Persian: A Tale of Two Similar but Different Ethnicities

The argument of Arab vs Persian has been cooking up since ancient times. This argument is no different than Chinese vs Korean or Japanese. Each culture and ethnicity has its own beliefs and traditions which make them unique. Here we put the argume...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
Roman Alphabets

Roman Alphabets

In the area of west central Italy was a region known as Latium (modern Lazio). The people of Latium were known as the Latins, an ancient tribe that lived in a region on the south side of the River Tiber, with the Etruscans living on the other side...

July 12th, 2001 • Timeless Myths
Algerian Culture: An Enchanting Mix of Tradition and Modern Influence

Algerian Culture: An Enchanting Mix of Tradition and Modern Influence

Algerian culture is strongly influenced by the country’s contemporary history and its mixed Arab and Berber heritage. The largest country in Africa by land area, Algeria is a bridge between the Mediterranean and the Sahara. It can be said that the...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
Abbasid: Arab Dynasty and Islamic Empire

Abbasid: Arab Dynasty and Islamic Empire

The Abbasid is an Arabic dynasty that ruled over the Islamic Empire from 750 A.D. until 1258. It was the longest and most influential dynasty in the history of Islam. The Abbasid was also the third caliphate that succeeds the Islamic prophet, Muha...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
Berber People: The Natives of North Africa

Berber People: The Natives of North Africa

The Berber people have inhabited North Africa for centuries and survived years of assimilation, persecution, and invasion. Though Berber culture began to decline during the Arab conquests of North Africa during the Middle Ages, a synthesis of Arab...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
The Revelation of the Koran and How It Shaped Basic Beliefs in Islam

The Revelation of the Koran and How It Shaped Basic Beliefs in Islam

The Koran, also called Quran or the Qur’an , is the chief religious text of Islam. Muslims believe it to be a revelation from God (Allah). God revealed the Koran to the final Prophet, Muhammad , through the archangel Gabriel. The Koran came in inc...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
Bedouins: Living Life in Simplicity Beyond Compare

Bedouins: Living Life in Simplicity Beyond Compare

The Bedouins were originally herders who sometimes also engaged in agriculture and fishing if the area allowed it. They temporarily settled from one place to another and took care of animals to survive. They were exposed to trading and transportin...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths
What Is the Middle East? The Cradle of Civilization

What Is the Middle East? The Cradle of Civilization

The Middle East refers to the nations around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea extending over the Arabian Peninsula. It is a region found between Europe and Asia and the northeastern part of Africa, making it a transcontinent...

January 11th, 2022 • Timeless Myths

Explore Myths

All Stories

Characters

All Articles

Search

Site Map

Mythologies

Norse Mythology

Classical Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Mythology Gods

Ancient Literature

About Us

Introduction

About Jimmy

Bibliography

FAQs

Retro Version

Resources

Timeless Myths

All Stories

All Articles

Characters

Copyright Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Contact

© 1999-2025

Timeless Myths

© 2025 Timeless Myths