The Arabic Language

Front Cover
Columbia University Press, 1997 - 277 pages
This general introduction to the Arabic Language, now available in paperback, places special emphasis on the history and variation of the language. Concentrating on the difference between the two types of Arabic - the Classical standard language and the dialects - Kees Versteegh charts the history and development of the Arabic language from the earliest beginnings to modern times. The reader is offered a solid grounding in the structure of the language, its historical context and its use in various literary and non-literary genres, as well as an understanding of the role of Arabic as a cultural, religious and political world language. Intended as an introductory guide for students of Arabic, it will also be a useful tool for discussions both from a historical linguistic and from a socio-linguistic perspective. Coverage includes all aspects of the history of Arabic, the Arabic linguistic tradition, Arabic dialects and Arabic as a world language. Links are made between linguistic history and cultural history, while the author emphasises the role of contacts between Arabic and other languages. This important book will be an ideal text for all those wishing to acquire an understanding or develop their knowledge of the Arabic language.
 

Contents

Arabic as a Semitic Language
9
The Earliest Stages of Arabic
23
Arabic in the PreIslamic Period
37
The Development of Classical Arabic
53
The Structure of Classical Arabic in the Linguistic Tradition
74
The Emergence of New Arabic
93
Middle Arabic
114
The Study of the Arabic Dialects
130
The Emergence of Modern Standard Arabic
173
Diglossia and Bilingualism
189
Arabic as a Minority Language
209
Arabic as a World Language
226
Bibliography
241
List of Abbreviations
263
Index
266
Copyright

IO The Dialects of Arabic
148

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 259 - Association internationale pour la Dialectologie Arabe held at Trinity Hall in the University of Cambridge 10-14 September 1995. — Cambridge : Univ.

Bibliographic information