20 questions for people who are passionate about Arabic
Inspired by the 9,273 roots in the famous Classical Arabic dictionary, Lisan al-‘Arab (لِسان الْعَرَب, the ‘9273 Roots’ series features in-depth interviews about Arabic. We explore the dedication and passion of people who work with, teach, or simply love the language. In each conversation, you’ll discover the unique journey of each guest.
Each person is unique in a certain way. They will come from different parts of life and from all parts of the world, ranging from teachers, diplomats, journalists, language nerds, translators as well as more experienced and established experts.
Every person is asked the same 20 questions.
So far, the following people have been interviewed:
“Arabic is dead – and yet it keeps living” | Karina Karatamakova | 9273 Roots #40
Russian UX writer Karina Karatamakova runs the Telegram channel Karatique, documenting her journey through the Arabic language. She shares why Saudi…
“Playing dominos gets you quick with Arabic numbers” | Andrew Cunningham | 9273 Roots #39
Banking expert Andrew Cunningham shares how playing dominos with native Egyptians helped him master Arabic numbers. He discusses his love for the…
“View Arabic as an identity you’re adopting” | Sherif Elmetwally | 9273 Roots #38
New Jersey-based Egyptian-American developer Sherif Elmetwally built Parallel Arabic, an AI-powered platform for acquiring dialects. He argues that…
“That sense of purpose, however small, is what makes me feel most alive” | Wan Amirul Asyraf | 9273 Roots #37
In this interview, Wan Amirul Asyraf from Malaysia shares how he bridges a career in finance with a deep passion for linguistics. He speaks on his…
“If you’re not studying, you’re dead” | Pierrick Jaouen | 9273 Roots #36
What connects a 1960s Egyptian radio program to modern language learning in Vietnam? For linguist Pierrick Jaouen, it’s all part of the journey. Explore…
“Teaching Arabic is deeply ingrained in my DNA” | Haytham Ibrahim | 9273 Roots #35
His father was a professor of Arabic at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Haytham Ibrahim is now setting out to revolutionize online Arabic learning. He is…
“Don’t let anyone tell you Arabic is a difficult language” | Eamonn Gearon | 9273 Roots #34
Historian Eamonn Gearon works to dispel ignorance about the Middle East. He shares his passion for the "purely logical" Arabic language and reveals…
“I hope mastering Arabic takes nothing less than a lifetime” | Mennan Salih | 9273 Roots #33
From teaching herself Arabic at 16 to a PhD in Arabic Literature, Mennan Salih's journey is remarkable. She explores the fascinating links between…
“Arabic is the ‘endurance sport’ of the world’s languages” | Dominic Herbert | 9273 Roots #32
For triathlete and Cambridge-educated financier Dominic Herbert, learning Arabic is the ultimate endurance sport. He discusses his 30-year journey, from…
“Being a lexicographer is a lifelong sentence” | Jan Hoogland | 9273 Roots #31
He's the Dutch Arabist whose work forms the core of the legendary Oxford Arabic Dictionary. Jan Hoogland shares the inside story of its creation, his…
“Seeking to discover the world through literature” | Betül Aslan | 9273 Roots #30
As a teacher and academic, Betül Aslan helps bridge the worlds of Arabic and Turkish literature. With four friends, she founded Mirkat.org to share…
“How a dive trip to Egypt led a 14-year-old to teach himself Arabic” | Georg Binder | 9273 Roots #29
Long before the internet, a dive trip to Egypt inspired 14-year-old Georg Binder to teach himself Arabic in his small Austrian town. He discusses his…
“I went from zero to fluent in Levantine Arabic in one year” | Uchechi Kalu | 9273 Roots #28
After struggling with traditional methods in college, Nigerian-American writer Uchechi Kalu tried a new approach. Using mass immersion, she went from…
“I drove 4 hours across mountains for an Arabic class” | Marco Rateitschak | 9273 Roots #27
What drives a Berlin-born economist to travel four hours across the Hajar mountains for an Arabic class? Marco Rateitschak discusses his 15-year career…
“Learning (languages) should become a joy, your job, and a friend” | Andreas Dietrich | 9273 Roots #26
He studied Semitic languages in East Germany, worked for an Arab ambassador in Berlin, and now leads tours through the Middle East. Andreas Dietrich…
“I became just knowledgeable enough about Arabic to be really annoying at parties” | Connor Seidenschwarz | 9273 Roots #25
He started learning Arabic in Montana and became "just knowledgeable enough to be annoying at parties." Connor Seidenschwarz shares his journey through…
CALL FOR SUGGESTIONS: Who should we interview soon?
Do you know an interesting person who has a special relationship with the Arabic language? Then tell us why we should interview this person!
