Browsing Tag
Aramaic
10 posts
Who wrote the first book about Arabic grammar?
Sibawayhi's book al-Kitab was the first formal and analytical Arabic grammar. It is a groundbreaking work. Some background
How well can you identify Arabic roots?
Some letters can lead you in the wrong direction when trying to figure out the Arabic root. Some tricky examples.
20 questions for: Andreas Dietrich (#26)
"Obviously you collect languages", says Andreas Dietrich. Episode #26 of "9273 roots": The man who is interested in how Semitic languages are connected.
Who are the all-time greatest Arabic grammarians from Europe?
Arabic grammar was of special interest in Europe especially in the 19th and early 20th century. Here is a list of the TOP FIVE Arabic grammarians from the West
Why is Arabic called a Semitic language?
The term Semitic Language was invented by a German scholar in 1781: August Ludwig von Schlözer.
The word Shaytan: Is there a difference between Satan, Iblis and the Devil in Arabic?
There is a difference between Satan, Iblis, and the Devil in Arabic. Let's analyze the terms and see how to use them.
Why does the Arabic broken plural have a crucial role in the classification of Arabic?
The Arabic broken plural has the effect that scholars still debate how to properly classify the several branches of Semitic languages.
The spelling of the Hamza in Arabic
In Arabic, if you see a Hamza at the end of the word, you have to watch out. Here are the spelling rules of the Arabic letter Hamza.
How do you spell a hundred in Arabic?
The Arabic word hundred is written مِائَة – but pronounced like مِئَة (me'a). Why is that?
Come to prayer! حي على الصلاة – What type of word is hayya حيَّ?
Hayya حَيَّ is used in the call of the Muezzin: Come to prayer! حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلاةِ. It is a special word type: a Ism al-Fial (اسم فعل).