Arabic is the official language in 28 countries in the world. Only English and French surpass Arabic. It dates back to the 6th century. Arabic is closely related to Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenian languages. It started in North Africa and including the Horn of Africa.
Arabic is said to be spoken by some 490 million people in the world with the majority being of Egyptian decent (89 million). Modern Arabic is derived from the Holy Quran. Arabic is written from right to left in Arabic script.
Below is the alphabet and a sample of Arabic writing.
Probably the most frequently spoken words in Arabic are below. Remember, start at the right, then read to the left.
