Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Arabic

Ar′a-bic

,
Adj.
[L.
Arabicus
, fr.
Arabia
.]
Of or pertaining to Arabia or the Arabians.
Arabic numerals
or
figures
,
the nine digits, 1, 2, 3, etc., and the cipher 0.
Gum arabic
.
See under
Gum
.

Ar′a-bic

,
Noun.
The language of the Arabians.
☞ The Arabic is a Semitic language, allied to the Hebrew. It is very widely diffused, being the language in which all Moslems must read the Koran, and is spoken as a vernacular tongue in Arabia, Syria, and Northern Africa.

Webster 1828 Edition


Arabic

AR'ABIC

,
Adj.
Belonging to Arabia, or the language of its inhabitants.

AR'ABIC

,
Noun.
The language of the Arabians.

Definition 2024


Arabic

Arabic

See also: arabic

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

Arabic (not comparable)

  1. Related to the Arabic language.
    • 2008, Abdallah Nacereddine, To Be Oneself: The Tragicomedy of an Unfinished Life History, ISBN 978-1-4670-8502-1, page 342:
      One day my UN students asked me, "Which is the Arabic country where the best Arabic is spoken?" I quickly replied, "Bosnia." They exclaimed, "But Bosnia is not an Arab country!"
  2. Of, from, or pertaining to Arab countries or cultural behaviour (see also Arab as an adjective).
    • 2012, Deborah Youdell, “Intelligibility, agency and the raced–nationed–religioned subjects of education”, in Intersectionality and "Race" in Education, ISBN 978-1-136-62899-3, page 202:
      White chalk on the fascia board above the Arabic-food stall reads "Lebanon" and "Lebs rule".

Usage notes

  • The adjective Arabic is commonly used in reference to language, and in traditional phrases such as Arabic numeral or gum arabic. Its use is controversial and often deprecated in reference to people or countries, where the adjective Arab is preferred.

Translations

Proper noun

Arabic

  1. A major Semitic language originating from the Arabian peninsula, and now spoken natively (in various spoken dialects, all sharing a single highly conservative standardized literary form) throughout large sections of the Middle East and North Africa.
  2. The Aramaic-derived alphabet used to write the Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Urdu, and Uyghur languages, among others.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Wikibooks

External links

arabic

arabic

See also: Arabic

Romanian

Adjective

arabic m, n (feminine singular arabică, masculine plural arabici, feminine and neuter plural arabice)

  1. Arabic, Arab

Declension

Synonyms