From: nmouawad@waterloo.edu (Naji Mouawad)
Subject: Re: AlpaLeb V 1.0
Organization: University of Waterloo
	<1992Oct5.141626.14842@ee.eng.ohio-state.edu>
	<NMOUAWAD.92Oct5151412@neumann.waterloo.edu>
	<BvpDIu.D11@ecf.toronto.edu>
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 19:57:39 GMT


I seem to have arouzed quiet a reaction there ...

That's fine. 

I'll try once againt to clarify my point.

	1. Concerning Alphaleb: some of you have read in my words the
will of "latinazation" of the language as a way to "isolate" myself
from the Arab word.

           As Elie Wardini mentioned, the Arabic alphabet itself has
evolved over time. It is, just the Latin alphabet, a derivative of the
Phoenician alphabet. As such, it is a nice tool to use and I do use it
as such. I stree my point: it is a tool. Thus when I am in an
environment were I want to write in Lebanese and the Arabic Alphabet
is available I use it. Otherwise I use Alphaleb. So once again I have
nothing against the Arabic Alphabet. In fact it would seems stange to
me to have something against a linguistic tool.

	2. Concerning the "political side of it": Arabic is considered
a "language" and Lebanese a "dialect" for purely political reasons and
not for any linguistic reason whatsoever. This is a well-accepted idea
among Linguists. On a political grounds we tend to differ: you view
the Middle East as being the "Arab World", you view the Arab World as
perenial and endless. I beg to differ. I have a different political
view point. I do not wish to start an argument about my own political
view point. The fact remains that we have differing views of the
world and differing views of what the "truth" should be. I believe in
plurality and freedom. If you wish to speak Arabic, please be my guest
and I will speak it with you, and, no, I am not kidding. I am not
taking from you any of your freedoms or culture. I am inviting you to
speak Lebanese with me. If you do not want to do so, you are free to
refuse. But you cannot in any possible way remove from me or from
anyone else the deep belief that we are on an equal footage: you
speaking Arabic and me speaking Lebanese. 

	3. As far as Sa@id @a'l is conserned, I do have a copy of his
Alphabet. If suffers from the same problems and the same
inconistencies as Qalam does. If this reference was really important, 
I apologize for not including it, but then again who would care about
someone "bala @a'el".



	So now, please stop seeing in my prose hidden thoughts and
plots. I am comming up-front and telling you what I think and why. I
liked Rached's post for his fair tone and honesty, so let us all
learn from him and keep the debate open.


-allo lebneneh shi ?
-allo eih
-allo men wein ?
-allo men Lebnen
-allo lah badna na@rif men wen ?
-allo ma-byekfik enno ana lebneneh ?
-allo ya-khayyeh ma-@edna na@rif beh-al iyyemet min iben min w wmin la
min

sakat heik w-allo:
	"ana men taHt el-arze, w-ana men SaDa el Hajar, ana men ruH
el-sahl w ana men oSSas l-zghar. Ana men-hal-terbe elle ma-btenjar w
ana mn-el-baHr el-ma-bi-ghir. Ana men-le-b'a@ w ana men-el-jnoub, ebn
SayDa w ebn Sour. Ana mnel-jabal l-l'adim w menl Day@a el-sehrane, men
@ayneyn el Helwin w-men za'fit @eres. Ana mnel-riH el awwetna wmenl
sham@ el-@allamna, ana m-nel-shmel, men Trablous w-mn-Jbeil, men kil
al@a w-nahr, men kel sa'ef w jar mnel Hub-l-ghamarna wmen-l-assa
l-fahamna. Ana men Lebenen w-Lebneen menneh mabyntassa. Khalik ya
khayeh @ala-l sharaf masnoud ta-ma y@ellak SawT el Assad wel-dib, enta
w-ana hown mawjoudin sawTain @ala-l faraH maw@oudin bkel tal-w-tal min
areD Lebnen byb'a l-zaman y-t-zakar Toufouletna ta-bass yekhla' nahr
el-tassemouh n'idir ntel'a bi amen w y-koun be'loubna el-rek@in Sala
menToli' w-fareHtak ya Lebnen".


naji.

	
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    | Naji Mouawad  |          nmouawad@watmath.waterloo.edu            |
    |  University   |---------------------------------------------------|
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