Arabic Language Day: History, Facts & Insights

This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about Arabic Language Day (2024) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. Arabic Language Day is celebrated on December 18th.

Among the information you’ll find below: the history of Arabic Language Day, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as intriguing facts you might want to know about Arabic Language Day.

📅 What day is Arabic Language Day 2024?

In 2024, Arabic Language Day is on Monday, December 18th. It is the 3rd Monday in December; in 2024, it is Wednesday. There are until the next observance. You also can learn all fascinating details and facts about December 18, 2023, that you might not be aware of.

December 18 is the perfect opportunity to give Arabic learning a try if you’ve ever been interested. Arabic is a language with a rich history, originating from the ancient Middle East and evolving from Proto-Semitic languages. Today, it is spoken by approximately 400 million individuals across 25 different countries.

📜 Arabic Language Day History

The Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, is the primary source of knowledge for Classical Arabic. It is the earliest written record of the Arabic language and provides valuable insights into its structure. Today, over a billion Muslims learn Arabic to read the Qur’an in its original form.

Arabic, similar to other Semitic languages, is written from right to left and contains sounds not found in English or other languages. Unlike the phonetic alphabet we are familiar with, Arabic uses a writing system called abjad, where each symbol represents a consonant and vowel sounds are indicated by accents. Instead of capital letters, quotation marks are used for emphasis.

The majority of Arabic words are derived from a core root that is thematically related. For example, words related to writing all contain the letters “k, t, b” with additional elements. By studying the origin of a word, you can gain insight into its meaning and category.

While learning Arabic may be challenging for English speakers, it is worth noting that many important and useful English words, such as algebra, alcohol, coffee, loofah, tariff, and cotton, have their roots in Arabic.

Recognizing its significance and global usage, Arabic was designated as one of the six official languages of the United Nations on December 18, 1993.

✅ Arabic Language Day Facts

🔖 Arabic has hundreds of words for “camel”
Some of the examples are “a fearful camel that is scared of everything” and “a leading female camel that walks in front of the rest.”

🔖 Arabic is written right to left
The Arabic language, along with other Semitic languages, is typically written from right to left.

🔖 There are no capital letters
Instead, quotation marks are used to give emphasis.

👍 Why Is Arabic Language Day Important

Arabic speakers have contributed significantly to the advancement of mathematics, chemistry, and medicine. Medieval Europeans brought knowledge from the Middle East and North Africa back to Europe, assisting in the transition from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment.

Arabic has been around for almost a century and is still growing in popularity. In addition to native speakers, over a billion people worldwide study Arabic in order to read the Qur’an.

Over 7,000 English words have Arabic roots, with over 500 of them still in common use today.

🙂 How To Observe Arabic Language Day

⚡ Read some Arabic poetry
Arabic, known as “the language of poetry,” is spoken and written by some of the most talented poets in the world.

⚡ Learn a few Arabic words
You can start learning Arabic by using a language app to familiarize yourself with basic words and phrases. Begin with simple greetings and conversational phrases to practice having small chats with a partner.

⚡ Practice with an Arabic-speaking friend
After becoming proficient in a few words, make sure to practice them with someone who speaks Arabic.

📅 When is Arabic Language Day?

View all 🔗 December holidays, including 🔗 Cultural and other 🔗 Ethnic holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about Arabic Language Day. So be sure to check back soon.