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Arabic in terms of the number of
speakers, is the largest living member of the Semitic language family.
Classified as Central Semitic, it has its roots in a Proto-Semitic common
ancestor. In ISO 639-3, modern Arabic is classified as a macro language with 27
sub-languages. These varieties are spoken throughout the Arab world, and
Standard Arabic is widely studied and used throughout the Islamic world.
Modern Standard Arabic derives from Classical Arabic, the only surviving member
of the Old North Arabian dialect group, attested in Pre-Islamic Arabic
inscriptions dating back to the 4th century. Classical Arabic has also been a
literary language and the liturgical language of Islam since its inception in
the 7th century.
Arabic has lent many words to other languages of the Islamic world, as Latin has
contributed to most European languages. It has also borrowed from those
languages, as well as Persian and Sanskrit from early contacts with their
affiliated regions. During the Middle Ages, Arabic was a major vehicle of
culture, especially in science, mathematics and philosophy, with the result that
many European languages have also borrowed numerous words from it. Arabic
influence is seen in Mediterranean languages, particularly Spanish, Portuguese,
Sicilian, and Maltese, due to both the proximity of European and Arab
civilization and 700 years of caliphate government in the Iberian peninsula.
The Arabic language interests millions of non-Arab Muslims, who do not speak it
as a native language, to learn it to different levels, mainly because it is the
language of their holy book, the Quran, and all Islamic terms are Arabic. Arabic
has been taught in many elementary and secondary schools, especially Muslim
schools, worldwide. Many universities in the world today have classes for
studying Arabic as a foreign language, as part of their foreign languages,
Middle Eastern studies, religious studies, area studies departments, and even
stand-alone Arabic language departments. Many Arabic language schools exist
today to assist students in gaining Arabic language skills outside academic
education. Most of the Arabic language schools are located in the Arab world and
some Muslim world countries. Software and books with tapes are also important
part of Arabic learning, as many of Arabic learners may live in places where
there are no academic or Arabic language school classes available. Radio series
of Arabic language classes are also provided from some radio stations. A number
of websites on the Internet provide online classes for all levels as a means of
distance education.
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