#Language Introduction

[polyglot-thought]

Critically Endangered Language Introduction:

Chulym

Ӧс тили

Some information about the Chulym language:

It’s critically endangered, meaning there are very few native speakers left, who are also elderly, and young people are not picking up the language. In writing, Chulym seems to use Cyrillic and or IPA and Latin script. You can read more about the Chulym language and people on Wikipedia, here and here; and on Living Tongues here.

Example Words & Phrases ↓

Provided by Living Tongues at this link, Cyrillic transliteration by me (which may be inaccurate)

по могалак тур-убул

po moɣalak tur-ubul 

this bear is standing (there)

мӕн ал-лик-им палик

män al-lɨk-ɨm palɨk 

I will take (some) fish

иштен-ник-им

iʃten-nik-im 

I will work

көр-бык-тер

kør-byk-ter

they won’t see

Please correct me if I made a mistake

[welcometogrouchland]

I understand that literature nerd Jason Todd is kind of overblown in fanon compared to it's actual presence in canon (a few issues during his pre (and post?)crisis Robin tenure that highlight it) BUT consider that I think it's hilarious if the unhinged gun toting criminal has strong opinions on poetry

[airenyah]

Episode 6: FadelStyle vs. Beginnings and Endings

In the past one and a half-ish weeks we've discussed at length just how good the last scene at the diner is and how Style drawing tears on Fadel at the rock concert was foreshadowing to Fadel ending the episode crying real tears. What I haven't seen discussed yet, however, is how that ending scene is actually a counterpart to Fadel and Style's conversation after the rock concert. And I think that makes the scene in the diner even more poignant. And it also makes the scene at the rock pub even more painful as well. Because they are basically the same scenes, just flipped. And I desperately need to talk about it or else I'll explode.

Part 1: "Tonight I am very happy"

In this scene Style knows something that Fadel doesn't: This will most likely be their last chance to be happy together like this. Tomorrow Fadel will go on his mission where the police will be waiting and then Fadel will be taken away from him.

But Style already loves Fadel, he is already worried about him and he really does not want to lose him. So he keeps trying to subtly talk Fadel into staying home from the mission and spilling the beans about the mission so he can explicitly ask Fadel not to go. But Fadel keeps his mouth shut. And as happy as Style is together with Fadel this evening, he is also very upset. He doesn't want the night to end, but there's no way around it. For Style this is a goodbye.

And for Fadel? Fadel went from I'll tell her this will be your last job to Ruerat is the last jerk we have to kill. After that, we can live however we want. Even in this episode, right before he goes to the concert with Style, Fadel tells Bison "Once we're done with Ruerat, I'll talk to Mother again", when Bison says it's time for them to quit. Fadel is on the same page as Bison now. Ruerat is their last victim and after that Fadel wants out. For Fadel, this is the last night where he's still stuck in his hitman life, but once he is done with his mission the weight will be off his shoulders and he can finally truly be with Style. For Fadel this is the opposite of a goodbye.

In the words of my mother: For Style, when the night is over life will end. For Fadel, when the night is over life will begin. Style is ending something and Fadel wants to begin something.

And another thing my mom pointed out is how they're standing in front of a pink sky:

And at what time of the day is the sky pink? Either at dawn or at dusk. The beginning of the day or the end of the day. And for Fadel this scene is only the beginning of the day while for Style this scene is the end of the day.

Part 2: "I think I already love you"

In this scene Fadel knows something that Style doesn't: Style has played him, has made him lower his protective walls, has made him fall for him only to turn around and betray him.

Style told Fadel he hoped that Fadel wouldn't get any more scars and yet here Style is, stabbing Fadel right in the heart and jeopardizing his life. Here Style is, bursting Fadel's bubble that he's finally started daring to dream about, a dream of a future where he wasn't lonely, a future where he was happy and himself with someone, Style, by his side. But Style is a danger to him. Style can't stay. As happy as Fadel has been together with Style, he needs to let go of him. For Fadel this is a goodbye.

And for Style? He has just spent a full week worrying sick about Fadel after his mission went wrong and went completely MIA. Style has likely (definitely) spent a week checking the restaurant every single day for any sign of Fadel's return, not giving up hope of seeing him again. And then Fadel is back. Style is overjoyed. The heavy metal concert wasn't their last day together, Fadel is pulling through on his promise to have many more nights like that with each other. The concert may have been the end of the day, but now against all odds a new day has come. For Style this is the opposite of a goodbye.

And so we're left with the exact opposite situation from what we had at the concert: Fadel is ending something and Style wants to begin something.

Conclusion

These two scenes go together, they're flipped parallels of each other.

At the concert, Style is internally saying goodbye to Fadel because he thinks their relationship will be over when Fadel gets arrested at the mission and the police take him away. At the diner, Fadel is internally saying goodbye to Style because he thinks their relationship is over now that he "knows" that none of it was real on Style's part since in reality he was working with said police.

At the concert Fadel is truly happy, because once his mission is over he'll talk to mother and when he's managed to convince her that him and Bison will be out, then Fadel can go and start a new life, a new future with Style. At the diner, Style is overjoyed because he thought he was about to lose Fadel, but Fadel has come back and now Style gets a second chance at a future with Fadel.

At the concert, Fadel is happy and he can tell something is kinda off about Style ("What's wrong? You act like we're not going to see each other again."), but he has absolutely no idea that Style is in the process of bidding him farewell. At the diner, Style is happy and he can tell something is kinda off about Fadel ("You were just calling me out for being affectionate. Now you wanna be romantic?"), but he has absolutely no idea that Fadel is in the process of bidding him farewell.

It's brilliant writing, really. And both scenes were flawlessly performed by both boys.

[gailyinthedark]

Very legit description of the Tower of Babel incident in my Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European

[onigiri-studies]

✩ Langblr introduction ✩

✩ About me ✩ 

My name is Emilija :)

25 - she/her

I love reading, writing, embroidery

✩ Languages I speak ✩

German

English

Croatian

Serbian

✩ Languages I want to learn ✩

Polish

Dutch

Russian

French

Spanish

Italian

✩ How I learn languages ✩

Free online textbooks and other free resources (because I'm on a budget)

Listening to podcasts/watching TV shows/movies

Reading books

✩ Goals ✩

Reach level C2 in German

Reach level C2 in English

Start learning Dutch

✩ Why I created this blog ✩

To share my content with others

Keep myself motivated

Make friends and exchange advice

Feel free to leave a message if you want to talk or if you have any questions!

[asyastudieskorean]

10.10.2024 — 안녕하세요! I realize I never made any sort of introduction on here, so here goes a short and simple one!

저는 에샤입니다~ It’s pronounced like Asia~ 한국어를 공부하고 있어요. 온라인 수업 대학교에서 공부해요. 25살이에요. 그리고 워싱턴에서 살아요. 네, 전 Twilight life 정말 살아요. ㅋㅋ

커피, 케이팝, 드라마들, 웹툰, 비, 매운 음식, 그리고 글쓰기 좋아해요. 언젠가 드라마를 쓰고 싶어요. 그게 제 꿈이에요.

대학교에서 1년 동안 한국어를 공부했지만 아직 잘 못해요. 그래서 친구들과 함께 한국어를 연습하고 싶어요. 정말 싶어요! 😭🙏🏻

If you are a Korean student or studying Korean and want to practice messaging in Korean together, please always feel free to message me on Tumblr (seriously please feel free, lol). No pressure, as I am a beginner with only basic knowledge right now. Maybe I’d be okay with voice messaging in the future, too. We could also ask each other study questions, talk about Korean topics, etc. I’m really open to anything if it means practicing!

어쨌든, 만나서 반가워요! 화이팅 여러분~

[la-patrona-magdalena]

🌇𝓗𝓲

☼☀️✨💡☼

𖤓 ɪ'ᴍ ᴍᴀɢᴅᴀʟᴇɴᴀ, ɴɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ :ᴅ

𖤓 ᴀʀᴏᴀᴄᴇ - 𝟣𝟪 ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴏʟᴅ - ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀ ʟᴀᴛɪɴᴀ- ᴇʟʟᴀ/ꜱʜᴇ/ʜᴇʀ -

𖤓 ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ, ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪᴛ, ꜱᴏ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ʜᴇʟᴘ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀɪ (ᴍᴀɪɴʟʏ ɪɴ ᴅɪᴀʟᴇᴄᴛꜱ ᴏʀ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴊᴏᴋᴇꜱ)

𖤓ɪ ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʀɪʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ “x ꜰᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ,” ᴀɴᴅ ɪ’ᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ-ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ. ʙᴜᴛ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʀɪʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱᴘᴀɴɪꜱʜ (ᴀ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡ ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ-ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ), ꜰᴏʀ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴄᴇ, ɪ’ʟʟ ᴜꜱᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜰᴇᴍɪɴɪɴᴇ ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ. ɪ’ʟʟ ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ-ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ ɪɴ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛɪɴɢ.

𖤓 ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴀᴏ𝟥 ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ.

🔅⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ🔅

      𝓶𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓭𝓸𝓷

✹ ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅ   ✹ ᴠɪꜱᴜᴀʟ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟꜱ ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ   ✹  ᴋɪᴍᴇᴛꜱᴜ ɴᴏ ʏᴀɪʙᴀ   ✹  ꜱʜɪɴɢᴇᴋɪ ɴᴏ ᴋʏᴏɢɪɴ   ✹ ꜱᴘɪᴅᴇʀᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ (ɴᴏ ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟ)   ✹  ᴅᴄ ᴄᴏᴍɪᴄꜱ   ✹ ᴏᴍᴏʀɪ   ✹ ᴇᴀʜ ᴀɴᴅ  ᴍʜ ✹ᴏɴᴇ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ

🌊⋆｡𖦹°.🐚⋆❀˖°🫧

𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽: ༊·˚ Aroace! Reader x your favorite yandere

༊·˚ my Batfam reading list

༊·˚ Don´t Look at Me! series Masterlist

🪼⋆｡𖦹°🫧⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒔

𓆉 ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴄᴏɴ ᴀʀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ

𓆉ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ.

🌦️𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆝⋆.˚ 𓇼🌦️

(what else are introductory blogs supposed to have?)

🌄

[bnt-2dadheen]

« الــلَكتة، الـعسل، والـفاميليا أَساسيان للصحة المُمتــازة »

« Ayc, Θḥama, akk Θidjil n wemdan s-sin n θmetta »

A sort of ✨introduction✨ for anyone who comes across my blog/account 💅🏼 || This’ll include some various infos about me, my life, & my interests; as well as some DO’s & DON’Ts considering my dm’s will always be ✨OPEN✨ for new friends or anybody who wants someone to yap to 🤗

——————————————————————————

Do’s - Be able to hold conversations! Be a good person! Be Interesting! Be drinking water! Be happy! Be curious! Be open with your personal interests & hobbies! Be funny but don’t try too hard!

Don’ts - Don’t be gross! Don’t be creepy! Don’t be dry! Don’t harass me in anyway! Don’t ask for pictures! Don’t be racist or homophobic! Don’t be antisemitic! Don’t be sexist! Don’t be close-minded in general! Don’t dm me with the intentions of a relationship!! Don’t attempt to RP with me!

——————————————————————————

HELLO 👋🏼 you can call me Rosa, I’m Moroccan Amazigh & I’ve got AuDHD! I was born on the 8th of March, 1997! I’m super super suuuuper into things like languages, conlangs (i wanted to make, & have the very beginnings of my own conlang & have said basics in a notebook somewhere lol) countryballs, dinosaurs, (alt-)history, ancient or obscure religions, anthropology, palaeontology, philosophy, Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, Stargate SG1, Bladerunner, music, travelling, culinary, baking; anime like JJBA, AoT, Black Clover, Goblin Slayer, Cowboy Bebop; video games like Bangon Balls, Crusader Kings 3, Hearts of Iron 4, EU4, BG3, Stellaris, WH40k, Fallout, Rimworld, TW series, Telltale TWD, FTWD, Assassins Creed & honestly learning anything in general; I love to learn new things!! I like camping, hiking, swimming, doing cardio or squats for work out stuffs, rock-climbing, cave-diving; i just enjoy being outdoors in general & because of this love for the outdoors, i also play Soccer, Volleyball, & Softball :D I’ve lived all over the place & visited lots of different countries. Currently, I’ve visited Kuwait, Iraq, KSA 🇸🇦, HKJ 🇯🇴, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, UAE 🇦��, Greece, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Israel/Palestine, Liberia, USA, Germany, Canada, France, UK, & Italy 🙂‍↕️☺️

I’ve worked a few cooking jobs here & there; baking sweets & pastries, making pizzas, italian cuisine, spanish cuisine, making candy, japanese cuisine (kokunai), etc. in a couple different countries!! I’ve also worked as a coffee barista, in masonry, woodworking, harvesting crops like oranges, grapes, olives, tomatoes, dry-walling, & as well as in a Nursery for various plants & crops 🤗!! But I’m currently working in an apprenticeship for Commercial/Residential Electrical Technician/Maintenance for units like HVAC, Digilocks, Motion Detectors, Smoke/Heat Detectors, etc. thru a few hotels in my region, as well as studying to get my PhD in Historical Linguistics! I currently have a BA & a MA 🤗 Next goal will be a PhD in Palaeontology! 🤩 or maybe Palaeoanthropology? or perhaps Palaeoclimateology? 🤔 Too many choices!! I can speak Darija (C2), Djebli (C2), Ghomara (C2), Chaldean Syriac (~A1), Hebrew (roughly ~A1), Nusayrieh/Shamieh (Arabic dialect, C2), Hassanieh (Arabic dialect-ish, C2), Tamazight/Tarifiyt (C2), English (C2), Türkī (not Turkish, ~B2ish to ~C1ish), Farsi (~C2ish), & Kurdish (B2)!! I can also speak Romaničib (~A1), Interlingua/Saber (~A1), & Interslavic (~B1)!! I’d love to learn more languages but I don’t think my brain can handle anymore for now 🙃🪦🤲🏼

——————————————————————————

« أشـــهَدُأن عشق علي حيـــاة »

« ⴰⵢⵛ, ⵝⵃⴰⵎⴰ, ⴰⴾⴾ ⵝⵉⴷⵊⵉⵍ ⵏ ⵡⵎⴷⴰⵏ ⵙⵙⵉⵏ ⵏ ⵜⵎⴻⵜⵜⴰ »

If you have ✨any✨ questions, concerns, curious-inclinations, or just want to talk some more about whatever then you should ✨definitely✨ dm me & let’s be moots !! 🤗 ♥️

[grotessquerie]

haii this is rubart's introduction !

◇ sixteen (09)

◇ i want friends! * must be 13 or older :( sorry

◇ i am the best listener and the most mediocre responder

rubart's interests !

♡ Roblox

☆ Liar's Table, IT GIRL, Horrific Housing, Obbies (any), In Plain Sight 2, and much more :3

♡ Linguistics/Language

☆ Germanic + Nordic languages are my favorite <3

♡ Sanrio

♡ Hunter x Hunter

♡ Reading

☆ Living Dead Girl . . Trigger . . By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead are some of my favs! >_<

☆ bonus: dark romance biggest hater

♡ Writing

♡ Talking to friends!

♡ Music,,,

dm for socials :3

[swordheld]

from the introduction to "the sovereign sun" selected poems by odysseus elytis, trans. and introduction by kimon friar. [id in alt text]

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2025: THE LANGUAGE OF NIGHT: ESSAYS ON WRITING, SCIENCE FICTION, AND FANTASY by Ursula K. Le Guin.

So I didn't mean to pick this book up next, but it's been sitting on my nightstand for months staring forlornly at me, and the book I did try to pick up next (at 1:30AM)(a notoriously great time to open a new book) started with Dramatis Personae, and I Absolutely Did Not Have The Bandwidth For That.

But! I did have the bandwidth for separate essays and talks! So here we are, 44 real pages (plus xl introduction pages) in. I've always found Le Guin's nonfiction very approachable, like sitting down on a rock by a stream just to listen, and so far that's been the case here, too. I appreciate how Susan Wood introduces all the sections and supplies context, and I'm enjoying how Le Guin revisits her own work and ideas and seeing how her perspective evolves.

[strawberryvenus-cub]

INTRODUCTION POST !

Figures i should make an introduction post?? Even if im like 75% sure no one will see this BUT ANYWAYSS HERE IT IS😸

Hiii my online more humane name is Mimi but for a more foresty name you can also call me anything relating to tigers or starting with "Mi" :3, Im italian and 15 currently. Any prounouns is fine ( but would prefer He/It ). also autistic!!!! [ Self diagnosed but with appropriate research ].

Im queer ! ( i like women and thats a threat. /hj /lh ) So happy pride month!! Im otherhearted w a Kithtype of Strawberry Bengal Tiger Cub :3 + im also otherlink!! (A wolfdog and a dragon :3) uhh what else uhh oh yea im like totally cringe.

Somethings i like are: Music, playing the bass, acting, singing and dancing ( not good at it but still ) drawing and writing ( also not good but details😺 )

uhh special interestes include but are not only composed by (some include hyperfixations) : Fnaf, Mlb, Aot/Snk, Dark (the netflix series), Jackson's diary and others.

I like languages. Im a pantheist and an omnist ( also have been a Hellenic polytheist but kinda stopped, would like to get back tho. ) and idk what else to add so i hope to whoever is reading this that you have a good day :)

[m1dway0f-m0rta1-l1f3]

introduction post!!!

大家好🧡， 我叫维克托，我张贴在这博客我的进展在学中文。🧡

Hello everyone, I'm Viktor, I will be posting on this blog my progress in learning Chinese 🧡

My username is based off of Ethel Cain's song, Onanist, highly recommend I love it 💙

Also I love orange and blue as a color combo so that's the theme for this blog 💙

I've been learning Chinese on and off for a few months now, but have decided to make this blog to keep me motivated as I've not made any real progress because I keep losing track. 💙

That's all I really have to put in my introduction post for now, but I won't just be posting my Chinese learning progress (though I will try to keep it somewhat mostly about that), I will also post aesthetic moodboards and just random stuff about my life.

[kanpeki-bekki]

@corvid-language-library

Oh I just caught a real good localization in the ffvii remake translation.

Context: End of chapter 7, Barrett just bared his heart to the party about his remorse for his past decisions in Corel and the tragedy Shinra eventually brought. Everyone falls into an awkward, bummed silence even though they're on the ropeway to an amusement park. Barrett makes a comment about how everyone's demeanor changed, so Yuffie says something like, that's right, we're headed to the Golden Saucer, the most funnest place in the world! Gets excited and runs over to a window with Aerith.

Barrett, now irritated with their completely out of touch joy:

「ご静聴ありがとう。」

(Lit: "Thanks for listening.")

→ "Glad we're on the same page."

Like it could have been translated literally and it probably would have been fine... Barrett's tone is pretty sarcastic, but I feel like the English doesn't carry the formality of the original phrase well? It's something we say, but not like that.

Meanwhile "Glad we're on the same page" feels like it's almost made to be a sarcastic comment... Do people even use it in it's natural sense? And it captures that sense of him rolling his eyes even though he was just complaining about how awkward everyone was acting. And Yuffie was both the impetus for him to share while also the one to break the ice... Like it's definitely a major stepping point in their friendship which was so antagonistic at first.

[meirimerens]

gearing up for INSUFFERABLE FUCKER SUMMER #INSUFFERABLE #FUCKER #SUMMER

[doseofarabic]

Dose # 1 - Introduction

Facts about the language

It’s a Semitic language, which is a branch of languages that includes languages like Arabic, Amharic, Aramaic and Hebrew among other languages.

It has millions speakers worldwide. People usually refer to 22 countries as “the Arab world” but I personally prefer to talk about “Arabic speaking countries” since it gives a better representation of the countries that speak the language and have Arabic as one of the official languages which are 25 countries in the Western part of Asia as well as Northern Africa.

The 25 countries are: Saudi Arabia, Chad, Algeria, Comoros, Eritrea, Djibouti, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Bahrain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

People might want to learn for a variety of reasons, whether it is to live in an Arabic speaking country or environment, for work purposes, or for religious purposes. Muslims Arabic holds a special place since it is the language of the Holy Quran.

Variations

Since many regions speak the language. There are a lot of variation in the language which I try to summarize.

To put it simply, on one hand we have the Standard Arabic, which is the formal Arabic. The older variation of Standard Arabic is Classical Arabic, among is the Holly Quran which is the most eloquent, inimitable form of Arabic.  

Here is a small post I made about MSA and Classical Arabic.

I will focus on the modern variant of Standard Arabic which is “Modern Standard Arabic”, or MSA. Nowadays, this variant is used in official correspondence, books, magazines and writings in general. It is important.

There are also dialects which are the “spoken Arabic”, each region has their own dialects but they are usually grouped per region and similarities:

Gulf dialects; Levantine dialects; Maghreb dialects; Nile Valley and Egyptian

Some dialects are not within these groups per se but they are somewhat close like Yemeni and Iraqi (which I would associate with the Gulf dialects).

I could also place Djibouti, Somalia, Mauritania and Chad in a separate category as well

These groupings over simplify the variety of the dialects but it’s to make the concept closer to understand especially for those who are not familiar with it. I spoke about dialects in a post I made a where I tried to provide an explanation for the difference in dialects, if you’re interested read it [here].

Usually, people learn Arabic to be able to speak a certain dialect, I recommend studying the standard Arabic first or at least having some sort of knowledge before delving into the dialects.

In my lessons, I will focus on Modern Standard Arabic, but I do make dialectal posts on my blog as well which can be found [here].

Arabic alphabets

Arabic is written from right to left, and the letters connect to form words. The letters are read as they are written in 99.9% of the cases, except for only very minor exceptions. It's also very phonetically consisentent, very similar to Spanish for example when comapred to English were different letters can be read differently according to the word.

Arabic has 28 letters, and because the writing connects the words together to form sentences, each letter can be written in 4 ways: the isolated form, the initial form (how it would look like if it came at the beginning of the word), medial form (how it would look like if it was in the middle of the word), and finally, the final form (how it would look like if it were at the end of the word).

However, it is important to note that not all letters connect with other letters, for example, the letters (ا / د / ذ  / ر  / ز / و) do not connect to each other, and only connects if the other letters in the alphabet comes before it.

The Arabic letters are simple, and many letters resemble one another, I usually refer to letters that are similar as “sisters”. The resemblance in shape doesn’t necessarily mean that the sounds are similar though.

There are two types of vowels, short vowels or harakat, and these are the diacritics or little accents that can be found on top of each letters; and long vowels or mudood which are three letters ا   (which makes the sound “aah” ), و   (which makes the sound of “oo” like “pool” ) and ي   (which makes the sound “ee” like feel). Usually, when talking about “vowels” people are referring to the long vowels.

The vowel is twice as long as the haraka but it has the same sound.

Grammar & vocabulary

Arabic is a very well structured language, and it has a very consistent grammar, exceptions are not very common and it’s very logical.

A notable thing to note about Arabic grammar is that first of all, there are grammatical cases, like Turkish and German for example.

This means that the end of the word changes according to its role in a sentence. In the case of Arabic, the harakat of the end of the word changes depending on the place and role it plays in a sentence.

So don’t be surprised when you see the same word ending with different harakat. Because it is a language that has this grammatical case system, the sentence structure is flexible.

For example تُوتُ  (berries) is the same as تُوتَ  and تُوتِ . The difference here is the place in the sentence.

Another thing is that Arabic has a root system, most words have a root (most likely made up of three letters), the root has a certain meaning and all the derived words will contain the same three letters of the root as well as a certain meaning that is carried with the derivation.

For example the word كَتَبَ  is the root and it means “to write”, we derive words like كَاتِب  (writer or author) مَكْتُوب (written) and كِتَاب (book) and مَكْتَبَة (library). If you know the verb (root) it’ll be easy to guess the meaning of the word or have a guess on what the word is about.

Arabic letters : how are they arranged?

There are two ways that the letters in Arabic are arranged, the first one is called التَّرْتِيب الأبجَدِيُّ   attartīb alʾbǧadiy. This is the old order of the letters, it was based on the order of the letters in Semetic languages, the order is also used in numbers (similar to roman numerals, how a letter can have a numerical value like (i) which is the number a).

This order is still used when making lists, for example if you’re saying point a) point b) , people are more likely to use this order.

For point c) in Arabic people will say ج)  and not ت.

The letters are grouped in these words, in this same order

أبجد هوز حطي كلمن سعفص قرشت ثخذ ضظغ

التَّرْتِيبُ الهِجَائِيَ attartīb alhiǧāʾiy is an order that was later introduced. This order arranges words in the alphabet according to the similarities between the way the letters are drawn. It’s the one used when studying Arabic.

This is the order of these letters

أ ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ك ل م ن هـ و ي

For simplicity’s sake, I suggest focusing on the second order, but it’s good to know that it’s not the only one.

I hope this has been an interesting introduction to read!

Homework

Complete this small quiz to measure how much you understood from this lesson

Next lesson : we will study the different harakat and vowels.