Journal of Islamic Studies (Jan 1981)
Notes on the Geography of Arabic Language
Abstract
Arabic is a semitic language which originated in the Arabian Peninsula. The effect of the geographic environment is clearly manifested in its vocabulary which abounds in words accurately describing desert environment. The spread of Islam east and west led to the spread of Arabic language in the same directions. In this respect the Holy Qur'an has been of crucial significance in propagating the Arabic language in all the lands overwhelmed by Islam. Such a vast spread is unprecedented in the history of any language. The spread of the Arabic language has also been influenced by various geographical factors such as place, topography and climate. It spread northwards as far as Tigris and the Euphrates and westwards across Sinai and Strait of Bab al Mandab into Africa where it eventually replaced the Coptic and Berber languages. At present, about 130 million people speak Arabic , representing 89% of the total population of the Arab world, . Only about 17 million people of that total speak other languages, most important of which are: Berber, Kushitic, Sudanic, Kurdic and persian languages.
