阿拉伯语

• Prospective students: Check out 的 阿拉伯语 page in Majors, Minors, and Concentrations

阿拉伯语 is one of a few languages which spread as a medium of intellectual thought, as well as a lingua franca. The role of 阿拉伯语 as a global language was formalized at three historic moments. First was 的 revelation of 的 Qur’an in 的 vernacular of Mecca in 的 seventh century. The Qur’an is considered by Muslims to be 的 word of God verbatim. 第二个, toward 的 end of 的 seventh century, 阿拉伯语 became 的 administrative language of 的 Muslim Caliphate or empire. This empire grew out from Arabia to include a territory ranging from Syria to North Africa and Spain in 的 west, and from Iraq to Iran, 中亚, and 的 Indus Valley in 的 east. 第三, during 的 8th and 9th centuries 阿拉伯语 became a language of intellectual exchange and scientific advance. Translations into 阿拉伯语 were developed for important texts written originally in Greek, 叙利亚的, 波斯, 科普特语的, 和梵文.

During 的 middle ages, 阿拉伯语 was spread around 的 Mediterranean, in Africa as far as 的 Sahara region, and in Asia toward India and 的 Muslim Chinese provinces, especially as a language of commercial exchange, intellectual discourse, and religious knowledge. In 的 core areas of 的 Middle East and North Africa, it also spread to become 的 daily spoken language. Because of 的 rich history of 阿拉伯语, its vocabulary found its way into many o的r languages including 西班牙语 and even English in Europe, 土耳其, 波斯, 乌尔都语, 马来印尼, in Asia and Swahili in Africa, 举几个例子.

最近, for 的 past 150 years, 阿拉伯语 has become 的 focal point of a cultural revival in 的 Arab World, 的 复兴党. With 的 help of 的 print mass media, it became 的 center of a debate among Arabs, about “who we are in 的 modern age.” The results were fascinating.  New genres and styles of writing in 阿拉伯语 developed, and continue to develop. Written 阿拉伯语 today owes a great deal to 的 innovative writers of 的 复兴党. 

阿拉伯语 at Swarthmore College