All About ArabicRomo Translations brings you a guide to the fascinating and widely spoken Arabic language

Introduction

Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world, with more than 200 million native speakers worldwide. It is the official language of no less than 22 countries throughout the Middle East, Southwest Asia and North Africa.

Arabic and English

The Arabic alphabet has its roots in Aramaic script and is written from right to left, so it looks completely different to English or any European language. However, many common English words have been borrowed in translation from Arabic languages.

During the Middle Ages, the Middle East was considered a great centre of learning, particularly in science, mathematics and philosophy. It was during this time that the rich language made an impact on European academics, and as a result, their languages.

Here is a look at ten commonly used English words that have their roots in Arabic.

Algebra

From the Arabic al-jabr, which means “completing or restoring broken parts”.

In medieval times, al-jabr and al-muqābala were steps used by Arabic mathematicians to solve algebraic equations. Their Latin counterparts soon adopted these names – and the method of solving equations.

Candy

From the Arabic qandī, meaning sugared.

Indian cane sugar (qand) was grown by medieval Arabic farmers, who exported some of their produce to the Latins.

The Arabic-inspired word candi entered all Western languages in the later medieval centuries.

Chemistry

The English word “alchemy” is derived from the Arabic al-kīmiyā, which entered medieval Latin as alchimia in the year 1140.

Later, the Latin words alchimicus (alchemical) and alchimista (alchemist) became commonly used.

These words developed into “chemical” and “chemist”, used in both Latin and French from the 16th century onwards.

Coffee

Coffee drinking originated in Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, dating back to the 15th century.

The original Arabic word Qahwa became the Turkish kahveh which in turn gave rise to the Italian name caffè.

The modern-day word coffee entered most Western languages around the early 17th century.

Guitar

From the Arabic kaīthara which comes from the ancient Greek kithara.

This later became the classical Latin cithara, used to describe a guitar or lyre.

Jasmine

The fragrant jasmine plant grows in the subtropical regions of Asia and Africa.

The plant’s Arabic name yās(a)mīn was used in the West as far back as 1240; an Arabic-to-English translation of a book from this year mentions the extraction on flower-oil from jasmine blossoms.

Lemon Arabs introduced the cultivation

of lemons, limes and oranges to the Mediterranean during the mid-medieval era.

The Arabic word līmūn later became al-lāmūn in the 12th century when an Arabic agricultural pioneer distinguished the different types of citrus fruits grown in Andalusia.

The words lime, orange and tangerine also have their root in Arabic.

Popinjay (Parrot)

babaghā' is the Arabic word meaning parrot.

In this example, we see the Arabic 'b' changed to the English 'p' when the word is translated.

This also occurs in several other Arabic-to-English loanwords, such as apricot (al-barqūq), syrup (sharāb) and serendipity (Serendīb).

Rook

The Arabic word rukhkh has its origins in the Persian language.

The words is used to describe the rook (or castle) in a game of chess.

In Arabic, rukhkh also refers to the roc, a mythological bird from Arabian mythology.

Zero

The medieval Arabic sifr gave rise to the Latin zephirum, first used in 1202

Old Italian zefiro was used in the 1480s and was later contracted to zero.

French zéro was first used around 1485

“Zero” only became commonly used in English after 1800.

Arabic Translations

As you can see, Arabic is a rich and complex language, and the translation of Arabic text requires the utmost care and skill. That’s why Romo employs Arabic translation professionals who specialise in their language and provide only the highest standards of service.

Contact Romo Translations today to find a skilled Arabic translator for any legal, medical or technical translation work you might require.