The Arabic Language and Folk Literature

A long time ago, during my first days spent in Arab countries, I noticed—as did everyone from the Arabic translators' tribe—the great importance of knowing the colloquial language of the region (al-'arabiyya al-'aammiyya, or al-lugha ad-daarija).

Diglossia in Arabic is almost indescribable. Numerous vernaculars are related to classical Arabic (al-'arabiyya al-fushaa) in the same way as modern Romance languages are related to Latin, and they differ from each other as much as these latter languages differ from each other. Most people understand you when you speak fusha, "modern standard Arabic" (SA—American academics usually use the acronym MSA), but then you sound ridiculous (people smile and even laugh), because nobody uses it in speech, except in certain formal situations. It is almost solely the language of writing and only the educated can use it in oral communication with some ease. It is not a mother tongue, but nevertheless it is taught in schools (B. F. Grimes: Ethnologue—Languages of the World, SIL, Dallas, 13th ed. 1996).

Naturally, the tales Arab grandmothers tell children are anything but examples of SA. I tried to find some of these tales, knowing that they would help me a great deal to learn the language of everyday speech. But, lo and behold—there were no such books. Absolutely none. Not in Damascus, Baghdad, Amman, Kuwait, or Cairo—nowhere!

Article from Translation Journal (http://accurapid.com/journal).

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