There are 28 letters which all have three different forms to them - depending on where they are in a word. Some letters cannot be connected to other letters on the left side, but can be connected on the right - unless of course they are following a non-connecting letter. There are only three vowels but they each have long and short sounds - so six vowels, really. And the diacritical marks? There are too many of them. Oh - and just to make it a little bit more challenging - do it backwards - the opposite direction from everything that you have ever read or written. Right to left versus left to right.
A couple of the letters - no, quite a few, actually - in the Arabic alphabet have no equivalent sound in English. They are gutteral sounds that I have never learned how to do. I can't do the spitting thing that men can do - that deep, "hawking one up sound." Nor can I roll my tongue with an "r." Making grunting sounds from the side of my mouth just does not come naturally... The writing I enjoy, the reading I am doing okay with, but the speaking part is close to impossible for me.
This says, "Sabra," but is missing the vowel sound - the fatHa - over the last letter, the "r" [because I could not figure out how to get it there]:
ﺳﺎﺒﺮ
Good luck, by the way, although I am an arab, but thanks for teaching me what is the sukun used for.
ReplyDeleteThanks, E-A. Don't you think you should be the one telling me what a sukun is? Honestly, if all the diacritical marks weren't in our book I'd think the instructor was making some of them up!
ReplyDeleteOnly geeks know the diacritical marks, I like my arabic de-marked.
ReplyDeleteBrings back memories...I took a beginners class a few years ago...it was awesome...I really picked it up fairly easy....
ReplyDeleteunfortunately I havent practiced it much these days...so like sand..its slipping away from me...i should start another class myself...would be fun
"Only geeks know the diacritical marks." First time I've EVER thought of myself as a geek, E-A!
ReplyDeleteI wish it came easy for me, Wide. It doesn't. I struggle. And this is my FOURTH class [actually a repeat of one several years ago]!
ReplyDeleteWhy not just use Arabizi? Everyone can read it, and although you can't read the newspaper with it, that's not a huge loss. The Arabic learning curve is made ten times worse by the new alphabet.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget the Roman alphabet has 52 letters.
Why not use Arabizi? Because I WANT to learn to read/write/speak Arabic. Not necessarily fluently - that will probably never happen - but at least I will have some basics. I live here - it is the language. Unfortunately because pretty much everyone reads/writes/speaks English, I've not been "immersed." The Roman alphabet only has 26 letters, with upper case and lower case versions of each. Arabic has 28 letter - with all but 6 of those having three different ways to write them... Much, much more difficult than the Roman alphabet, in my opinion, m.o.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for at least making an effort in trying to learn it......well done!!
ReplyDeleteGill