Why do Arabs write from right to left, and not from left to right, like Latins and Slavs

  • Jul 03, 2022
click fraud protection
Why do Arabs write from right to left, and not from left to right, like Latins and Slavs

Arabic writing is very different from Latin and Cyrillic. So, for example, in Arabic you cannot split words into parts for transfer to a new line, punctuation marks here they are put in the reverse order - from left to right, and besides, there are no capital letters from this script letters. Therefore, even proper names are written in the same way as all other words. However, the most striking feature of Arabic writing is, of course, the manner in which the word is drawn from right to left. Why?

Looks strange. Photo: syl.ru.
Looks strange. /Photo: syl.ru.
Looks strange. /Photo: syl.ru.

In fact, historians and linguists still do not have an exact answer to the question posed - why the Arabs write from right to left. There are several theories of varying degrees of persuasiveness and the realization that the formation of the Arab writing, like any other writing in the world, was influenced by a whole list of factors. The roots of modern Arabic writing go back to the mists of time. It is generally accepted that it appeared on the basis of the Nabataean letter, and that, in turn, arose on the basis of the Aramaic letter, it was preceded by the Phoenician letter and the Proto-Sinaitic letter.

instagram viewer

Ancient letter of Nabatea. / Photo: icxod.ru.
Ancient letter of Nabatea. / Photo: icxod.ru.

The Proto-Sinaitic script had 30 characters and was used in the Sinai Peninsula in the 1500s BC. It developed, among other things, into the Phoenician and Canaanite scripts, which were used from 1500 to 1050 BC and had 20-22 characters each. The Phoenician script, in turn, became the basis for the emergence of not only Aramaic, but also Hebrew, Greek and many other alphabets. Nabataean alphabet with the same 22 characters. The latter was used from the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD.

>>>>Ideas for life | NOVATE.RU<<<<

It was based on the Phoenician alphabet. /Photo: fineartamerica.com.
It was based on the Phoenician alphabet. /Photo: fineartamerica.com.

And here it is important to understand the main thing, namely, what united most of the listed ancient alphabets, with the exception of the Greek. This is what the ancestors of the North African and Middle Eastern peoples “wrote” mainly on stones, and they made these records from right to left! More precisely, they carved inscriptions on stones with a hammer and chisel. Many relevant archaeological sites have survived to this day. What do hammer and chisel have to do with writing direction? Scientists believe that the key.

The most convincing version comes down to the fact that the ancient people, being mostly right-handed, were intuitively accustomed to writing from right to left. In addition, the hammer was held, as a rule, in the right hand, and the chisel in the left. This also intuitively pushed the ancient man, “not corrupted” by the tradition of Latin and Cyrillic writing, to create records in the same direction.

"Grandfather's" trick for the garden, which will significantly increase the heads of onions and garlic
Novate: Ideas for life 2 days ago
Why installing a fence from a profiled sheet on self-tapping screws is a big mistake
Novate: Ideas for life 2 days ago
It's all about hammers and chisels. /Photo: nuartmemorial.com.
It's all about hammers and chisels. /Photo: nuartmemorial.com.

In continuation of the topic, read about why in the "White Sun of the Desert" Abdullah wore a green turban.
Source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/090422/62669/