ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <title>Introductory notes on learning Arabic</title> <meta name="description" content="Introductory notes on learning Arabic"> <link href="http://www.linguata.com/styles/newstyle.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="http://www.linguata.com/lightbox/lightbox.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linguata.com/lightbox/lightbox.js"></script> </head> <body> <div id="header"> <a href="http://www.linguata.com"> <img src="http://www.linguata.com/images/logo.gif" title="Linguata language learning software" border="0" /></a></div> <div id="menuarea"> <div id="menu"> <a href="http://www.linguata.com">Home</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/Languages.html">Languages</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/Ordering.html?language=none">Buy</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/learnarabic.html">Learn Arabic</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/Order_Support.html">Customer Service</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/About_Us.html">About</a> </div> </div> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="content"> <div id="threetier" align="center"> </div> <div id="maincentred"> <p> <!- All text goes under here -!> <h1>Reading Arabic</h1> <small><p><i>Please note that the transliteration used in these Linguata articles differs in some respects from the version used in the programs. In the latter the emphasis is on ease of association between sounds and their representation. In the articles the convention used is based on those found in Bennett & Bloom s Arabic Dictionary</i></p></small> <p>Arabic script is bafflingly unfamiliar to people used to the Roman alphabet in its various forms, so few tourists realise that a little effort to understand it can bring disproportionate rewards. In some respects written Arabic is the<i> lingua franca </i>of the Arab world  the pronunciation of spoken Arabic varies significantly between countries and across classes, and there is no universally agreed way of transliterating spoken (or written) Arabic into a Romanised equivalent, but printed Arabic is universally recognised. Put this to the test by comparing the response to a question uttered in the speech equivalent suggested by your phrase book with the response when you indicate the written Arabic version in your phrasebook  nine times out of ten, bafflement will be followed by illumination.</p> <p><i>Linguata </i>places the emphasis on listening to and repeating a reasonably accessible form of spoken Arabic, but it also supplies the written form, which the following notes will help you decipher, should you wish to do so.</p> <p>Some points to bear in mind: Arabic runs from right to left; the short vowels a i u are usually not represented and have to be inferred from the context; there are no capital letters; there is no indefinite article (a, an); the definite article (the) merges with the word it defines; the majority of letters have two forms, a short and a long (see below).</p> <p>Printed Arabic is based on written Arabic so most of its letters are joined up; it is also like a kind of shorthand in which many of the letters have abbreviated forms which occur in the beginning and middle of words. The full forms occur at the end of words or when the letter is written on its own.</p> <br><br> <h2>The Arabic Alphabet</h2> <br><br> <p>The Arabic alphabet consists of 28 consonants, three of which can have a long vowel function. If short vowel sounds are represented they are indicated by four small signs above or below the consonant which the vowel sound follows. These are the harakat, three small strokes corresponding to <i> a </i>, <i> i </i> and <i> u </i>, and a small circle, <i>sukuun </i>( quiescence ) which indicates that no vowel follows the consonant. In practice they are usually omitted (<i>Linguata </i>follows this convention for the Arabic text but vowel sounds are fully represented in the Romanised text, where the emphasis is on providing an aid to memorising sounds rather than a strictly equivalent version of the Arabic text).</p> <p>The <i>Linguata </i> articles use the following conventions to indicate particular sounds:</p> <BR> <table border="1" cellpadding="20"> <tr><td><b>Description:</b></td> <td><b>Example:</b></td> <td><b>Indicates:</b></td> </tr> <tr><td>Right single quotation mark:  </td> <td>E3'! <i>mesa </i> (evening)</td> <td><i>hamza</i> (!), a glottal stop, the sound that occurs if  matter is said without the  tt .</td> </tr> <tr><td>Dot below a consonant: <i>(%)  c m “</i></td> <td>-H6 <i>%aw </i> (basin)</td> <td>A  dark sound  body of tongue low: compare  d in  dumb and  dim (see table below for<i> %</i>, which is  heavy ).</td> </tr> <tr><td>Paired consonants: <i>th kh dh sh gh</i></td> <td>+D'+) <i>thalatha </i>(three)</td> <td>Apart from rare exceptions, these consonant pairs form one sound, e.g. as  th in  thin </td> </tr> <tr><td>Line above a vowel: <i> + M k</i></td> <td>sJ1'F <i>+rn</i> (Iran)</td> <td>Lengthens the vowel e.g. the long  a in  father versus the short  a in  fat .</td> </tr> <tr><td>Left single quotation mark:  </td> <td>9F %0FC <i> an idhnik </i>(excuse me)</td> <td><i> ayn</i> 9 (letter 18 in the Arabic alphabet). No equivalent English sound. See table below.</td> </tr> </table> <BR> <BR><BR> <h2>Arabic Letters: Transliteration, Sounds and Forms</h2> <BR><BR> <table border="1" cellpadding="20"> <tr><td><b>Name of Arabic letter:</b> </td> <td><b>Trans-liter-ation:</b></td> <td><b>Pronunciation and functions:</b></td> <td><b>Full Forms:</b> stand-alone and word ending forms</td> <td><b>Partial Forms:</b> beginning (a few middle) and end of word forms shown in combination with <i>alif, b, y</i></td> <td><b>Non-joiners:</b>: connect to preceding but not following letter</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>alif</i></td> <td><i></i></td> <td>glottal stop as short vowels <i>a i</i> or <i>u</i> at start of word; lengthens short  a to   as in  father .</td><td>'</td> <td>'D' <i> al</i></i> D' <i> l</i> ('( <i>bb</i></td> <td>Non-joiner</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>b</i></td> <td><i>b</i></td> <td>as in  bat </td> <td>(</td> <td>('( <i>bb</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>t</i></td> <td><i>t</i></td> <td>as in  tat </td> <td>*</td> <td>*'* <i>tt</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>th</i></td> <td><i>th</i></td> <td>as in  think or as <i> t </i>above</td> <td>+</td> <td>+'+ <i> thth</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>jÑm</i></td> <td><i>j</i></td> <td>as in  jam </td> <td>,</td> <td>,', <i><i> jj</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>%</i></td> <td><i>%</i></td> <td>breathe out forcibly as if cleaning glasses</td> <td>-</td> <td>-'- <i>%%</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>kh</i></td> <td><i>kh</i></td> <td>as in scottish  loch </td> <td>.</td> <td>.'. <i>khkh</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>dl</i></td> <td><i>d</i></td> <td>as in  dim </td> <td>/</td> <td>/(/ <i> dbd</i> /'/ <i> dd</i></td> <td>Non-joiner</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>dhl</i></td> <td><i>dh</i></td> <td>as in  that </td> <td>0</td> <td>0(0 <i> dhbdh</i></td> <td>Non-joiner</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>r</i></td> <td><i>r</i></td> <td>rolled or trilled</td> <td>1</td> <td>1(1 <i> rbr</i></td> <td>Non-joiner</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>z</i></td> <td><i>z</i></td> <td>as in  zinc </td> <td>2</td> <td>2(2 <i> zbz</i></td> <td>Non-joiner</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>sÑn</i></td> <td><i>s</i></td> <td>as in  basic </td> <td>3</td> <td>3'3 <i> ss</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>shÑn</i></td> <td><i>sh</i></td> <td>as in  she </td> <td>4</td> <td>4'4 <i>shsh</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>cd</i></td> <td><i>c</i></td> <td>dark  s </td> <td>5</td> <td>5'5 <i> cc</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i> d</i></td> <td><i> </td> <td>dark  d </td> <td>6</td> <td>6'6 <i>  </i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>m</i></td> <td><i>m </td> <td>dark  t </td> <td>7</td> <td>7'7 <i> mm</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>“</i></td> <td><i>“</i></td> <td>dark  z </td> <td>8</td> <td>8'8 <i> ““</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i> ayn</i></td> <td> </td> <td>no English equivalent: see footnote</td> <td>9</td> <td>999 9     </td> <td>*Note four forms</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>ghayn</i></td> <td><i>gh</i></td> <td>like guttural french  r </td> <td>:</td> <td>:::: : <i>ghghgh:gh</i></td> <td>*Note four forms</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>f</i></td> <td><i>f</i></td> <td>as in  fee </td> <td>A</td> <td>A'A <i> ff</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>qf</i></td> <td><i>q</i></td> <td>deep-throated  k sound</td> <td>B</td> <td>B'B <i> qq</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>kf</i></td> <td><i>k,g</i></td> <td>as in  book </td> <td>C</td> <td>C'C <i> kk</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>lm</i></td> <td><i>l</i></td> <td>a  light  l as in  laugh , not  wall </td> <td>D</td> <td>D(D <i> lbl</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>mÑm</i></td> <td><i>m</i></td> <td>as in  moon </td> <td>E</td> <td>EJE <i> mym</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>nkn</i></td> <td><i>n</i></td> <td>as in  neat </td> <td>F</td> <td>FHF <i> nwn</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>h</i></td> <td><i>h</i></td> <td>as in  he </td> <td>G</td> <td>GG'G <i> hhah</i></td> <td>Note three forms</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>ww</i></td> <td><i>w</i></td> <td>as in  wet ; or long vowel <i>k ( oo as in  pool )</td> <td>H</td> <td>H(H <i> wbw</i></td> <td>Non-joiner</td> </tr> <tr><td><i>y</i></td> <td><i>y</i></td> <td>as in  yet ; or long vowel<i> +</i> ( ee in  peel or  ay in  day )</td> <td>J</td> <td>J'J <i> yy</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>hamza</i></td> <td></td> <td>glottal stop</td> <td>!</td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>t marbáma </i> </td> <td></td> <td><i> a </i> after a consonant; after<i> ya</i>, sounds <i> +ya </i>. Used as feminine word ending.</td> <td>) @)</td> <td>F) <i> ta</i> J) <i> +ya</i></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr><td><i>alif maqcára</i></td> <td></td> <td><i> a </i>  only occurs at the end of a word.</td> <td></td> <td>I</td> <td></td> </tr> </table> <BR> <p><small> Footnote: The pronunciation of <i> ayn</i> is described as a voiced version of <i>%</i> and likened to the  r in French <i>Marie</i> without the back of the throat contact. Its distinctiveness varies between speakers, some using it more lightly so that it functions like a glottal stop.</small></p> <BR><BR> <p><b>Graham Rooth</b></p> <BR><BR> <h3>References and Recommended Reading</h3> <small><p>Awde, N. and Smith, K.<i> Arabic Dictionary (London: Bennett and Bloom, 2004).</p> <p>Ayyad, A.T. <i>Teach Yourself Arabic: Rules of Reading and Writing </i>(London: Ta-Ha Publishers, 1996).</p> <p>Cohen, J.M. ed. <i>Arabic-English Dictionary, 4th Edition </i> (Urbana, Il: Spoken Language Services, 1994).</p> <p>Liddicoat, M-J, Lennane, R., and Rahim, I.A. <i>Syrian Colloquial Arabic, a Functional Course.</i><link/> http://syrianarabic.com/.</p> <p>Mace, J. <i>Teach Yourself Beginner s Arabic Script</i> (London: Hodder Arnold, 2003).</p> <p>Wightwick, J. and Gaafar, M. <i>Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar </i>(New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008).</p></small> <!- No more text goes under here -!> </p> </div> </div> <img src="http://www.linguata.com/images/contentbottom.gif" /><br /> <div id="footer"> <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/words_and_phrases.html" title="Words and phrases in different languages" >WORDS AND PHRASES</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/language_faqs.html" title="Questions and answers on different languages">LANGUAGE FAQS</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/articles/language-learning.html" title="A reference to many world languages" >DICTIONARY OF LANGUAGES</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/articles/pronunciation.html" title="An introduction to the pronunciation of many languages" >PRONUNCIATION</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/articles/general-articles-on-language.html" title="Articles on language and language learning" >ARTICLES</a> | <a href="http://www.linguata.com/articles/history-of-languages.html" title="A brief history on the development of languages" >HISTORY</a>| <a href="http://www.linguata.com/linguata/search.html" title="Search this site" >SEARCH</a> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://cetrk.com/pages/scripts/0005/1332.js"> </script> </body> </html>