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Lebanese or Lebanese Arabic is the colloquial form of Arabic spoken in Lebanon.
Classification
Lebanese is considered to be a part of the Levantine dialects of Arabic, spoken around Lebanon and Syria. Some linguists disagree over whether or not Lebanese is just a dialect of Arabic, or a descendent of it, (as Italian is a descendent of Latin.) Many local Maronite communities consider it a separate language, as well as the radical right-wing group Guardians of the Cedars.
Changes from Classical Arabic
Lebanese shares many featural similarities to other modern dialects of Arabic. Syntax has become more simple, losing both mood and case markings. Also, verbal agreement regarding number and gender is required for all subjects, whether already mentioned or not. Also, plural inanimate nouns are treated as feminine. Classical Arabic on the other hand requires the singular for newly introduced subjects. For example, the expression "the mites have eaten me" is rendered "akalatni al-barağītu" ("the-mites it-ate-me") in literary Arabic, and "aklūnē l-Breğīt" ("the-mites they-ate-me") in Lebanese.
Lebanese vocabulary and phonology differ not only from Classical Arabic, but also from other modern-day dialects. For example:
- In Arabic, "look inside" is translated as: unð̣ur fid-dāxil, or in the feminine, unð̣urī fid-dāxil.
- In Lebanese, as in Syrian and Palestinian Arabic, it becomes: šūf žuwwa, or in the female command form, šūfī žuwwa.
Spelling Reform
Lebanese is rarely written, except in novels where an accent is implied. Like Chinese, Arabic uses a single literary language (fusha) for writing. While Arabic script is usually employed, Latin letters are commonly used in online chat. Poet Saïd Akl first proposed the use of the Latin alphabet, leading to many attempts at a new transciption system. While some works, such as Romeo and Juliet and Plato's Dialogues have been transliterated using such systems, they have not gained widespread acceptance.
External links
- Lebanese Arabic Learning Material
- Learn Lebanese
- Difference between Arabic Language and Lebanese Language
Books
- Spoken Lebanese. Maksoud N. Feghali, Appalachian State University. Parkway Publishers, 1999 (ISBN 1-887905-14-6)
"Lebanese Arabic"