meadow_zephyr

I would like to learn Arabic. Is Egyptian Arabic universally understood or completely different from "Eastern Arabic?" For example most language educational companies offer courses in American English and British English, but for the most part, someone who learned American English could communicate in Britain and Vice Versa. Is it the same with Egyptian Arabic and Eastern Arabic? Which, if either is more universally understood?

wanderlust5

I am going to Egypt and Jordan for the month of November and have been learning Egyptian Arabic - I am using a basic course, nothing fancy but want to learn enough phrases to at least be civil to people. Arabic has a lot of different variations and dialects. It depends on where you plan to travel. If you want basic Arabic, I would learn regular Arabic, not Egyptian Arabic which has differences. If your purpose is for travel within Egypt, I would choose Egyptian Arabic.

mnss

Egyptian Arabic is actually the easiest Arabic dialect to understand for most Arabs from other countries/regions.

Standard rabic is the Arabic used in the Media, books, Koran, and formal speechs. So it's also understood by all Arabs.

Keep in mind that Egyptian Arabic is only spoken but never written. And all Arabs from all regions write in standard Arabic.

meadow_zephyr

I had no idea that Egyptian Arabic is not written. Thanks!

mnss

It's just a spoken dialect.

Let's take the word moon for exaple:

In standrad Arabic it's "Qamar"

In Egyptian Arabic it's "Amar"

All the Q sounds are pronounced A in Egyptian Arabic. But when Egyptians write down the word moon, they write " Qamar" however, they pronounced it "Amar"

Hope this helps!

mnss

They pronounce it not "pronouned it"

Sherif

Actually, it is more than just pronounciation.... Egypt over the centuries mixed with and was influenced by other nations (for example Turks during the Ottoman Empire... Europeans: French, British, Italians and Greeks during the 19th and first half of the 20th century) and hence the "spoken Egyptian" includes words from all of these origins... in addition to Arabic of course and a few words dating from the time of the Pharoes (obviously).

For instance, the formal arabic word for balcony would be "Shorfa" ... but when speaking among ourselves we would say "balcona" (of Italian or French origin). Similarly instead of useing "Shorta" they would say "Police" , to refer to a dress instead of "Thaob" they would say "Fostan" (Turkish) etc...

The reason Egyptian Arabic dialect is well understood throughout the Arab world is because most movies, TV soap operas, singers etc watched all over the region... were Egyptian... (I would say 80+%) .... another historical reason during the 1950s, 60s and maybe later.... a large number of Egyptian teachers were called upon to teach in schools in the Arab Gulf (untill now), Tunisia, Libya etc...

mnss

Sherif, "balacona" "shorta" and " fostan" are also used in Saudi, Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian/Palestinian dialects. That could be due to the strong influence of Egyptian Arabic actually.

But still, these are only spoken dialects. But I don't think a tourist would want to read a book in Arabic or watch the news on Arab TV. So by learning the Egyptian dialect, you'll also be understood through out the Arab world, even in Morocco where the local dialect sounds like another language to all other Arabs outside of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.

meadow_zephyr

Thank you. This is all very fascinating and really helping me understand some of the fundamental elements that make Egyptian Arabic unique. So, in short for purposes of at least communicating effectively with MOST speakers of Arabic (I realize there are not blanket rules etc.)would Egyptian Arabic serve the purpose or is it too regional to be universally understood?

meadow_zephyr

Now that I'm reading the responses my question seems a bit redundant, but feel free to add more input if anyone would like.

meadow_zephyr

I meant to say "reading the responses AGAIN"

mnss

More words taken from Euroipean languages:

"Parooka" = Italian for wig, used in most Arabic dialects.

"Pantalon" = Italian for Pants, also used in most Arabic dialects!

"Sechoir" pronounced "Seshwar" it's French for hair dryer, but it's also used in most Arabic dialects!

I too find that faschnating because some European languages like Spanish have so many words of Arabic origin!

mnss

European not Euroipean...

mnss

Just thought I'd add that the standard Arabic word for Hair dryer is "Mojaffef Al- Sha'ar" !

Sherif

MNSS

Spanish of course is a special case, since it was ruled by Arabs for several centuries (and so would be Maltese)...

Azucar, Arroz, Azeitoun (sugar, rice and olives) are three Spanish words that come to mind that are of Arabic origin...

other more universally used words of Arabic origin would be:

Chemistry (Alchemy) coming from the Arabic Al Kemyaa

Algorythms .... derived from the name Al Khawarizmy who invented/dicovered algorythms apparently

Alcohol (Al Kohol)

Algebra (from Al Gabr)

Sherif

Interestingly, sometimes the same spoken word mean different things between Arabs of different nationalities... a bit like the word "rubber" having different meanings between English and American. For instance "Barrad" for Egyptians refers to tea kettle while for Jordanians and Palestinians is refers to "refrigerator"

On the following link one can find a brief dictionary for spoken Arabic in Egyptian dialect (with sound files... which could be useful...):

http://www.touregypt.net/translat.htm
(even though the lower half of the page tends to drift to formal Arabic)

mnss

Saudies say Barrad= what you serve tea in as well!

by the way the German word for "sugar" is also of Arabic origin! it's "Zucker" it's pronounced'(tsucker) which is very close to the Arabic (sukkar) ya Shreef ya sukkar!