The Arabic language

About the Arabic language

Arabic is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as a first language and by 250 million more as a second language. Most native speakers live in the Middle East and North Africa. Different varieties of spoken Arabic exist and differ according to region. Standard Arabic, also called Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), is widely taught in schools, universities, and used in the office and the media.

Here are a few facts about the Arabic language:

• It is the official language of more than 200 million people, in 22 countries.
  
• It is now one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
  
• It is the sacred language of Islam, and in it was revealed the Koran - the sacred book of the Muslims.
  
• Arabic is one of the family of Semitic languages.
  
• The Arabic language is more than 1500 years old! Despite being an ancient language, it fits the modern world.
  
• After more than a millenium of existence, it retains its initial form almost intact.
  
• The Arabic writing system is used by other languages as well, such as Persian and Urdu.
  

Read more on the Arabic language.