The Arabic Language [Hardcover]

Kees Versteegh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0231111525 | ISBN-13: 978-0231111522 | Publication Date: November 5, 1997 | Edition: First Edition

This general introduction to the Arabic Language, now available in paperback, places special emphasis on the history and variation of the language. Concentrating on the difference between the two types of Arabic - the Classical standard language and the dialects - Kees Versteegh charts the history and development of the Arabic language from the earliest beginnings to modern times. The reader is offered a solid grounding in the structure of the language, its historical context and its use in various literary and non-literary genres, as well as an understanding of the role of Arabic as a cultural, religious and political world language. Intended as an introductory guide for students of Arabic, it will also be a useful tool for discussions both from a historical linguistic and from a socio-linguistic perspective. Coverage includes all aspects of the history of Arabic, the Arabic linguistic tradition, Arabic dialects and Arabic as a world language. Links are made between linguistic history and cultural history, while the author emphasises the role of contacts between Arabic and other languages. This important book will be an ideal text for all those wishing to acquire an understanding or develop their knowledge of the Arabic language.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a very useful handbook, both for general linguists interested in various aspects of the history and present state of Arabic and for Arabists and/or Semiticists who wish to update their bibliographical knowledge of fields within Arabic linguistics in which they may not be specialists.

(Lutz Edward Die Welt des Islams )

An up-to-date textbook in English as an introduction to the history of Arabic has been a desideratum for a long time.... The author is to be congratulated on giving us a work that should become the standard handbook for years to come.

(International Journal of the Sociology of Language )

Language Notes

Text: English, Arabic

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press; First Edition edition (November 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231111525
• ISBN-13: 978-0231111522
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #662,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History and background of Arabic and Dialects, not much more, June 1, 2006

By 

Fredrick W. Lorenz (State College, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arabic Language (Paperback)

I just finished reading Versteegh's book and I thought it was a good read for those interested in knowing the background of the Arabic language. There's information regarding the relationship between Arabic and Aramaic, as well as Hebrew and Arabic. A student of Arabic, like myself, would find this book to be a review of the origins and similarities between the semetic languages.

The most interesting chapters are those of the Arabic dialects. The book goes into detail about the Maghrebi, Egyptian, Levantine, and Yemenese dialects. It covers their similiarities, differences, and multiple hypotheses on why FusHa has died out before and during the colonial period in the M.E. and why it is now making a comeback due to fundamentalism.

Those interested in the linguistical diffusion of Arabic into other languages (i.e. Spanish, Turkish, Persian, Hindi, Indonesian languages) will find a brief chapter summarizing all of this info.

I finished the book in 2 days, and found myself wanting more. Perhaps it's better to get this book from a university or public library rather than spend $30.00+. Hope this helps.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In-depth linguistic analysis, April 17, 2008

By 

bako - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Arabic Language (Paperback)

This was an excellent, well researched book. It was full of history, which added context to the discussion of the dialects, and despite being a speaker, I found it full of new information. Personally, I enjoyed most the parts on the mass bedouin migrations to Egypt and the Maghreb, the story of the Banu Hilal and the Banu Sulaym, and the great amount of information on Bedouin migrations, which help explain how certain characteristics spread.
A basic knowledge of Arabic is definitely required, or it will be a tedious book to complete, and I would also say that a knowledge of linguistics would also be helpful, as the book is filled with linguistic terminology such as dipthongs, verbo-nominal compounds, infinitives, suffixes, subjunctives, etc. It would have been useful to have a glossary at the end.
The only drawback of the book is that all of the Arabic is transliterated into English. I would have found the book much easier if the words had been left in Arabic. For the next edition, I would recommend keeping the words in Arabic, and adding footnotes to the bottom of the page with the English transliterations for those who need them.
All in all, an excellent non-Arab study into the language.

A-

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History of the Development of Arabic, September 27, 2007

By 

Nabil Wilf - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arabic Language (Paperback)

I sought this book to understand how the division arose between spoken Arabic with all its various dialects and standard written Arabic which is known as Fusha. In that regard the book satisfied my interest and gave me an idea of the key differences between the various dialects, but I was left with wanting to know more about how the linguistic division arose. Additionally, the book was too technical in some parts for the layman to comprehend. An elementary grasp of Arabic would suffice. And I would have found it easier if the Arabic quoted in the book was not transliterated in English but left with the Arabic script. All in all, it was a useful book and an eye opener into the complexities of Arabic.