On the "International Day of the Arabic Language," it is important to discuss one of the pressing issues that preoccupy many, which is the matter of the antiquity of the Semitic languages. In this context, some Orientalists and Jews claim that Hebrew or Syriac are the oldest among the Semitic languages, while many Arabs believe that the Arabic language is the oldest. Orientalists and Jews have contributed to spreading this view until it became prevalent, not only among the general public but also among some students and professors of Arabic who mistakenly believe that Hebrew or Syriac are older than Arabic.
However, this article relies on reliable historical and linguistic evidence confirming that Arabic is the oldest among the Semitic languages. This evidence will be based on the writings of the prominent scholar Shibli Numani (d. 1914), who addressed this issue in his articles. Here, we will discuss some of the evidence presented by Numani to prove that Arabic is the oldest.
The Three Major Language Families
Historical and linguistic studies indicate that the world contains three major language families:
- The Semitic family: which descends from Shem, the son of Noah, and from which Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldean, and Nabataean branched out.
- The Indo-European family: which includes Indian and European languages.
- The Turanian family: which encompasses a group of languages that are not related to either Semitic or Indo-European.
Semitic languages are characterized by a set of unique features not found in other languages, such as the ability to pronounce certain letters, such as: "ح, ع, ق, ص, ض, ط, ظ," in addition to the clear distinction between masculine and feminine pronouns and the close connection between pronouns, nouns, verbs, and letters.
The Oldest Semitic Languages
Historically, opinions have varied regarding the oldest Semitic language. Many ancients believed that Hebrew was the oldest, while some European scholars argued that Syriac was the oldest. However, Shibli Numani and many researchers believe that Arabic is the oldest, basing their views on the following evidence:
- The comprehensive nature of the Arabic language concerning all vocabulary and linguistic roots:
Linguistic studies show that the Arabic language contains all the roots and vocabulary found in Hebrew and Syriac, but the reverse is not true; many vocabulary terms in Arabic cannot be found in Hebrew or Syriac. This indicates that Arabic is more ancient and foundational, while the Hebrew and Syriac languages emerged in later periods.
- The commitment of the Arabic language to morphological rules:
Every ancient language retains a high degree of inherent linguistic systematization, while more recent languages often contain more linguistic anomalies. In this context, the Arabic language is one of the most committed to morphological rules, as words deviating from the norm are rare compared to Hebrew and Syriac, which contain many anomalous words that contradict morphological rules.
- Retaining Linguistic Roots:
In Hebrew and Syriac, many words have lost their origins and cannot be traced back to their roots. In Arabic, however, every word has a known root and origin, and its derivatives can be easily traced. This shows that Arabic is older and more stable than other Semitic languages.
- Loss of Basic Letters in Other Semitic Languages:
One of the key differences between Arabic and other Semitic languages is the loss of some fundamental letters in Hebrew and Syriac. For example, in Hebrew and Syriac, the letter "n" has been lost in "you" (singular and plural), and both languages have lost the letter "l" in "the," which is used for definite articles. In contrast, Arabic has retained these letters in their linguistic roles and functions.
- Substitution of Letters in Hebrew and Syriac:
Another important evidence suggesting that Arabic is older is the process of letter substitution in Hebrew and Syriac. Hebrew has substituted the letter "sad" with "dad," and Syriac has substituted "ayin." For instance, the word "earth" became "ars" in Hebrew and "ara" in Syriac. This substitution indicates that "dad," which is a letter used only in Arabic, is the original, and that the words containing it are of Arabic origin.
- Arabic Language and Writing:
Some may object that Hebrew and Syriac have had written texts for a long time, while the earliest book in Arabic appeared shortly before Islam. However, this does not mean that Arabic is not older. Writing and language are two different things, and the existence of a language does not require the presence of written texts. Languages can be spoken and used orally for centuries before being recorded. Arabs are considered a people who were late in writing due to their illiteracy, but this does not deny that the Arabic language was used before its documentation.
- Borrowing Arabic Terms in Ancient Hebrew Texts:
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for the antiquity of the Arabic language is found in ancient Hebrew texts, such as the "Book of Job," which is considered one of the oldest Hebrew writings. This text contains many Arabic terms, raising the question: How could Hebrew borrow Arabic words if Arabic did not exist before it?
In light of the linguistic and historical evidence presented by Al-Nu'mani, we can confidently say that the Arabic language is the oldest among the Semitic languages. It has maintained its authenticity and linguistic continuity largely than Hebrew and Syriac, and it has remained capable of encompassing all the linguistic roots from which other Semitic languages have emerged. Despite the delay in Arabs documenting their language, this does not negate the antiquity of Arabic, which has preserved its linguistic structure in a way that makes it superior to other Semitic languages.
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