Arabic Minor and Coursework
The Arabic language is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic, as it shares a place in the Semitic branch of languages, which is centered mostly in North Africa and the Middle East. Arabic has more than 280 million speakers today, and the language is widely studied in Islamic societies where it is not often used for everyday speech.
Arabic also shares status as one of the six official languages of the United Nations (the others being English, French, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish), reflecting the substantial political and cultural importance of the language. Almost twenty countries host sizable populations of Arabic speakers: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Due to the political and economic history of Arabic-speaking cultures, Arabic has provided loanwords to languages such as Persian, Turkish, and Urdu, and certainly English, by way of European civilization during the Middle Ages. “Everyday English” words such as algebra, amber, cotton, lemon, nadir, serendipity, talisman, and (indirectly) zero all stem from Arabic.
About the Curriculum
Arabic courses use a self-instructional language program (SILP) format with enrollments limited to three to six students. Examinations in the language are half oral, administered by external examiners appointed by the University; and half written administered by your professor in class.
Minor in Arabic: 24.0 credits
Arabic Course Descriptions
The following resources can be used to practice listening and reading comprehension skills and to gain a better understanding of the geography, history and popular culture relevant to Arabic language study.
- Princeton University’s Islamic Manuscripts Collection – Princeton’s Firestone Library offers an unmatched collection of original Arabic books and manuscripts. This is a close and invaluable resource for all Arabic language learners.
- The Middle East Studies Association offers many reliable sources and information.
- News and other Media in Arabic