Browse through social media in the Middle East, and you might find something strange. A sentence can appear to be English, but then suddenly numbers will appear in the middle of the words. Something as: 3arabi 7abibi keef 7alak? That’s Arabizi, a digitial writing style popularly used across the Middle East.
What Is Arabizi? The Digital Language Popular Across The Middle East
This isn’t a typo. It is Arabizi, a form of writing that combines both Arabic-sounding and Latin letters and numbers. It is used daily by millions of people in the Middle East in texts, social media posts, and even in online chats.
Imagine it as the internet solution to the problem of typing Arabic fast- Arabic typewriters were never used on those computers in the first place.
The Origins Of Arabizi
Arabizi started to propagate in the late 1990s and early 2000s when early mobile phones and computers did not easily support Arabic scripts. In order to communicate over the internet, users began to write words in Arabic but with the help of the Latin alphabet.
There are sounds in Arabic that are not present in English. So users improvised.
They substituted some letters with digits that resembled or were similar to the Arabic characters in appearance or pronunciation.
Reportedly, this creative workaround developed over time to become a popular digital dialect among online communities in the Arab world, as documented by Eton Institute and Wikipedia.
Arabizi can now be found in text messages, Instagram posts, video games, and WhatsApp.
The Reason Numbers Are Used In Arabizi
The most identifiable aspect of Arabizi is the use of numbers.
They assist in the representation of Arabic sounds that the Latin alphabet has no ability to capture.
These are some typical examples:
2 symbolises the Arabic glottal stop.
3 signifies the Arabic character ع.
5 or 7’ can represent “خ”
6 represents “ط”
7 represents “ح”
9 represents “ص”
A term such as 3arab is merely Arabs.
And 7abibi is my dear, or my friend.
Initially, it may appear confusing. It can be read by ordinary users just like normal text.
Where Arabizi Is Most Commonly Used?
The practise of Arabizi is common in the Middle East and North Africa.
It is especially common in such nations as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. It is most used by young people and digital natives. Most of them alternate between Arabic script and Arabizi, based on the platform or audience.
It is particularly prevalent when you are chatting with your friends through the internet or casually writing on social media.
Also Read: 8 Best Things To Do In Saudi Arabia This January
Is Arabizi A Language Or A Slang?
Arabizi is not a language but a writing style. People continue to talk in standard Arabic or local dialects. Arabizi merely written form of those spoken words in another alphabet.
Other teachers fear that it might undermine the conventional writing in Arabic. Others believe it is a reflection of the natural adaptation of languages to technology. In any case, Arabizi is a new trend in the modern online culture of the region.
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