Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-06-07
'RiWRAB AMERIKA"

rev OF our fcalefs may W hNW'N'
the fact that the Arabian population OF
this continent il large enough TO
sustain newspaper pfinted In the
hicroglyphics Of their own language.
But It IL 10. Sample copies have
reached us this week. II IL u weekly
called kIriob dmcrkd, The Star Of
America, ami IL published 10 New
York anu edited by Dr. A. J. and NJ
J. Arbeely. IL IL claimed that the
paper represents an Arabian popula-
ton OF over one hundred thousand
souls, a figure probably not verJ much
exaggerated, considering the great
numbers that have lett their homes Ia
the mountains Of LBbauon and other
parts Of syria. ono Of tbs copies sent
~ contains an article on "Mormonism
d. America" giving mostly rhetorical
data relating to our Church.
The Arabian language ia among
the Semitic family the last that
was embodied In writing. II was
ffat after the appearance ofMoLammed
that the Arabs became the possessors
OF literary standard. What was
composed beiose his time lacked uni
formity OF grammar, each tribe using
it, own dlalectlc peoularities.
What tue oriental prophet gave his
people both As divine revelation and
his own say lngs was carefully collect
cd. The language he used was the
language OF Allah and the prophet.
a pattern had been found, All his
followers mastered this aud those who
aspired TO prominence "a orators and
leaders OF the people had TO be prod
client In II. Tho words Of the prophet
had to be known by heart by them aud
they were supposed to thoroughly uu.
derstand them. And In order to
give the conquered foreign nations,
who rapidly accepted Mohammcdan.
ism, a chance TO learn the principles Of
the new religion, the Arabs set 10 work
and wrote grammars ana dictionaries.
Thus In less than tao hundred years
after MohAmmod a system had been
completed In every detail. This Ian.
guagu Ia still the written language OF
the Afhhians.
To commence with, the spoken Ian.
guagc OF Arabia did not differ much
from this. In fact, It has been asserted
that MOhRmmed made use Of the vaTi'
Gus Arabian dialects with which he
was acquainted, selecting the best oil
each Tor the expression OF his thoughts.
But In course OF time tho spoken
language changed. Many OF the end.
ings expressing differences ia
eases, number genus, etc., wer,
dropped as too cumbersome In the daily
talk. Words became obsolete. New
words were added. The language be.
came modified by the various tongue,
spoken by the conquered nstious, aud
tho result was finally that gtea
chasm was opened between the writer
language and the various spoken
dialects. For the former was con
sldered sacred and was scrupulousll
guarded, while the latter continually
developed although slowly.
And this is the condition OF IN,
Mohammedan world today. They
have written language almost a
different from the vernacular as tn
ancient Greek il from the moderi
language Of Greece, or rs the oil,
Latin Ia from Italian. Most Of tn
spoken dialects Of Arabic arc as cas-.
to learn rs most modern tongues, Will
the written language OF MohammsI
Is one OF the mos; dlilicult to master.
! 1t 10 10 be supposed, however, that
, change In this condition ia at hand
{ Modern TRANSACTIONS OF the Bible mt
! Arabic approach the spoken dialects
| Newspapers-ihe very few that ar
publlshed-do the same aud mission
{ aries In their public addresses, o
course, speak the vernacular NJ th,
. particular people whom they address
+ with due regard to grammatical rules
All this tendsto form classical, moder
Arabic which can be- understood by a.
and win be- the language Of all cd
ucated Arabs, while the language o
. the Koran Will be- dead one and lik
, ancient Greek only Of value to h
scholar. But perhaps a second NJ,
, manned Ia needed to form this mot
ern Arabic, for In the orient progress
slow.