How the Arabic language is like Giraffe species

People used to think that 'arabic' was a single language, but in practice some dialects were so different that the speakers could not understand each other. By now, what used to be 'Arabic' has split into more than 30 different distinct languages. A similar thing is happening for species since it's become possible to analyze DNA in higher detail.

[tuluppampam]

The case with Arabic is a bit more complicated: languages tend to form dialect continuums, in which speakers from close by areas understand eachother, but those from far away areas may very well not.

This creates a massive problem in categorising what a language actually is, because mutual intelligibility does not work properly as a metric.

Norwegian also forms a dialect continuum, and so does Swedish and Danish, and the languages are fairly well mutually intelligible. But the line is very blurry due to the same problem that Arabic faces (the dialect continuum).

There is no good definition of language, and considering that idiolects are a thing we may very well never get a reasonable definition of it.

[thatguyuu]

As an arab (Moroccan), the arabic language is a very detailed and hard language to understand, so speakers tend to change some ways of speaking, in Morocco's case we tend to get lazy while talking so we reduce the amount of time or length used for words, the Moroccan dialect, called "Darija", evolved a fast way of speaking, changing letter placements like "ملعقة" (Spoon) changed to "معلقة", or changing the word it self, some more drastic than others like "طاولة"(table) turned to "طبلة" and "بطيخ"(watermelon) turned to "دلاح".

[EdgyShooter]

So sadly that still means more are dying out, we're just classifying the ones that still exist better

[MarwanHadidi]

Exactly why most Arabs make fun of Morrocans having a dialect that we can't understand

[LucaScicluna-fefl]

Maltese is a good example of an Arabic dialect which is actually a totally different language

[rtmusicvideos]

That’s because Arabic is a colonial language that was spread through Arab imperialism…of course when you force the same language on over a billion people over huge swaths of land eventually different dialects will appear, many of which contain traces of the indigenous languages of the diverse groups of people who were conquered. It’s the same reason why there are so many different dialects of Spanish spoken throughout Central and South America, since Spanish was also spread as a colonial language. In fact, the Arab conquest of Spain is what inspired Spanish colonialism.

[zaidlacksalastname]

As someone who speaks arabic in Jordan, I can generally keep up with anyone trying to talk to me, but a conversation between 2 saudis, egyptians, or morrocans would be hard to follow

[Knightfall]

The internet will probably consolidate language, as people learn to speak the dialect spoken online.

[OMOMOMOMOM]

Standardised Arabic is 1 language and is what everyone uses for reading and writing and formal settings, dialects are what people speak on a daily basis and tend to change from town to town…. You dont say english isnt one language because the different places have different dialects and terms … scottish people speak english and and so Californians… different dialects, no different language

[midamida]

Yes this is why when someone tells me to translate a video of someone speaking Arabic, i almost always can't because it's one of the many other dialects i don't understand, which is so embarrassing lol

[TOMASJEFFERSON]

Extinct - Вымерший, угасший
Stall - Приостановиться, ларек
Distinct - отчётливый, самобытный
Species - Вид
Reveal - Раскрыть, выявить
Evolve - Развиваться
Prompt - Пробуждать, вызвать

[amarj]

Well yes but actually no
The dialects, colloquial IS very different but the standardised is only one, you can understand every news channel, every book, and every lecture around any country

[yuvalne]

"A language is a dialect with an army and navy" ~Max Weinreich

[ShellyNoelly]

"We" being the people who don't know the language lol... Pretty sure native speakers were aware that they didn't understand eachother... And the folks categorizing didn't.

[sam]

English is a delightful Mashup of languages and has been THE best Swiss Cheese for Genie. You want to fly? Airplane tickets or you are transformed into an insect

[ahmedharajli]

Your example being Hindustani isn’t really a good one since that’s an example of two languages that were historically classified as separate that many people are beginning to realise is actually one language that has been divided by politics and cultures

[Lalita_Luna]

Proof that "linguists" specifically means "Western linguists"

[brainlesswarrior]

Uk English and Us English are slightly different and native speakers from both places will have hard time communicating properly

[RusselKabirTR]

This is what happens when people are not familiar with the concept of absolute truth. What a stupid comparison. Redefining a dialect as a language doesn't create a new language, while a language going extinct actually means a language is no more. But a redefinition didn't bring a new language to the world