Arabic becoming an endangered language

[Shinra1]

With more than 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. Arabic will never become instinct since it is the language of the Holy book. Islam is a faith which requires a lot of participation unlike many other faiths and so reading Arabic is a fundamental part of the faith.

[Mihalik]

With more than 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. Arabic will never become instinct since it is the language of the Holy book. Islam is a faith which requires a lot of participation unlike many other faiths and so reading Arabic is a fundamental part of the faith.

Most Muslims don't actually speak or understand Arabic. A lot memorize passages and can read segments phonetically, but they usually practice their faith in their own languages.

Not much different to how most Catholics practiced their faith until 1967 when Latin was the liturgical language used and they could recite prayers and passages in Latin but rarely held any comprehensive understanding or ability to use the language itself.

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Isn't French also growing in (Francophone) West Africa?

Practically almost all major European colonial languages and some that aren't are still growing. Like Italian and even German either as second language as German or in the former colonies via demographic growth like French, Portuguese and Italian.

Their growth rate is not substantial or comparable to languages like Mandarin, Spanish, English and Hindi.

[Mormolyce]

English is the simplest European language by far, and one of the simplest IE language with few rivals. How can one think English is hard?

How simple it is to learn a language is pretty relative. I bet an Italian could learn French much more easily than English.

Also English may be less structurally complex than other PIE languages but it's got a load of idiom. And none of its rules make any sense.

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I understand people have different opinions, but yours is wrong and should feel bad about it. Gendered words are amazing!!!

In all honesty I've never understood what the point of gendered nouns is.

[Mittens]

How simple it is to learn a language is pretty relative. I bet an Italian could learn French much more easily than English.

Also English may be less structurally complex than other PIE languages but it's got a load of idiom. And none of its rules make any sense.

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In all honesty, I've never understood what the point of gendered nouns is.

IMO it doesn't. But it sounds much better that way and breaks the monotony from time to time.

Also, it allows to me to take a jab at my friends that have insecurity issues regarding their masculinity.

[Post]

I would be fine if the world spoke nothing but English.

[Flarelaine]

English is the simplest European language by far, and one of the simplest IE language with few rivals. How can one think English is hard?

Getting to conversational level in English is easy because most rules aren't hard and fast. Mastering is much more difficult - because most rules aren't hard and fast.

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I am for the reverse. I would see mankind speak in but one tongue.

One tongue to rule them all?

[Mittens]

I am for the reverse. I would see mankind speak in but one tongue.

And it has to be Spanish. It's an objectively better language. Complicated enough for those that want to delve into it and easy enough to be picked by everyone.

[Flarelaine]

i've always said, i might not be very smart personally, but i can appreciate and enjoy the endeavors of those who are. that's the real problem in this world, with people like trump. they're not just stupid, they have no appreciation or care for anything outside of what they can grasp or comprehend. that's the difference between being uneducated and being an idiot i think.

What's worse, people like him and his archetypical voters appear to be actively suspicious and/or hostile toward the learned.

[Reinhard von Lohengramm]

To be honest I'd prefer to speak Arabic or Hebrew before I would have to speak French.

As a Canadian, fuck the bilingualism in our country. I've taken mandatory and optional French classes during grade school and high school, even getting the top "Grade 10" mark for the French class while I was in Grade 12, see this language every goddamn time I go to a store or even open my fridge, and even have a few hundred days on duolingo wrapped under my belt...

And I'm nowhere close to fluent in it whatsoever. I'd think it the "best" second language to learn given the country (Also I. Fucking. Hate. The. Sound. Of. Spanish.) but good grief is it difficult to understand at times. Not to mention the difference between "Quebec" French and "France" French.

With that being said, if there's any language I'd wish death upon, it would be Arabic, for the sin of being permanently joined at the hip to the Qur'an.

[Mittens]

What's worse, people like him and his archetypical voters appear to be actively suspicious and/or hostile toward the learned.

Tbqh I think the whole approach is wrong. Saying experts say X and here are a bunch of papers that prove it is a terrible way to convince someone.

[Flarelaine]

Tbqh I think the whole approach is wrong. Saying experts say X and here are a bunch of papers that prove it is a terrible way to convince someone.

But what else do you propose then? "Believe me because it's me saying it"?

[Peebuddy]

English is a cool and strange language as in very rarely do words and sentences mean the actual definitions, we have to say "Literally" when we actually want to portray the language to the actual definition. Learning the definitions of English and adjectives and nouns are fairly simple, understanding the thousands of idioms and slang words in order to actually converse with someone beyond bus stop directions is entirely different.

Like when someone says "Yea right" on face value they're agreeing with you but in fact the person is skeptical.

Or "When pigs fly", I love that saying because Its absolutely confusing to people unfamiliar with it's saying. What, when pigs fly? I was just asking you out on a date why are you bringing up pigs?

[Deleted]

In Tunisia you need the french language to advance to higher education.

[Mihalik]

(Also I. Fucking. Hate. The. Sound. Of. Spanish.)

Castilian Spanish sounds quite different to Spanish spoken in the Americas. I personally don't much enjoy the American variety either, tho I do find Argentinians oddly likeable, but barely understandable sometimes.

When they dub movies for example Spanish and Latin American dubbing will be done by different people, mostly because Spaniards don't really find Latin American Spanish very palatable.

[Tackhisis]

understanding the thousands of idioms and slang words in order to actually converse with someone beyond bus stop directions is entirely different.

Every language has tons of idioms and slang words.

[tikcol]

I don't think SISI will let that happen

[Taso]

It most certainly is. English is a popular language due to US influence. Its also a rather simple language (to speak) compared to others.

But what about England that is how English spread.

[GennGreymane]

But what about England that is how English spread.

In former colonial areas yes, but modern day English is being pushed via US commercial interests.

[SupBrah]

With more than 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. Arabic will never become instinct since it is the language of the Holy book. Islam is a faith which requires a lot of participation unlike many other faiths and so reading Arabic is a fundamental part of the faith.

lol I hate to break it to you, but not all 1.6 billion muslims around the world speak Arabic, nowhere near all of them. Even young muslims who's parents/grandparents immigrated to US/EU are less and less likely to speak arabic.

We live in a global world now. A world where people can speak to one another instantly, despite being on the other side of the planet. English is considered the global/"common" language hands down because english speakers are the ones who spearheaded the economy and technology provided in the modern world.

Even smaller non-english countries are now requiring children to learn english in school because they'll need to know it when they grow up. Primitive languages like arabic are dying out because they're no longer needed.