# Any modern standard arabic speakers out there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736 "2006-03-02T09:00:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/1 "2006-03-02T09:00:53Z")
I was wondering if there are any modern standard arabic speakers here… I have a few questions relating to the language… I have a basic understanding… just need a push. please, feel free to email me, or post and ill email ya back. I figure this isn’t something that people are interested in knowing so I put the ‘email me’ option out there. just questions of MSA translation and transliteration… if this is against board rules to have an “email me” post, then feel free to post away on the board. ---
**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/2 "2006-03-02T09:01:55Z")
> [@chefIL11](#): > > I was wondering if there are any modern standard arabic speakers here… > > I have a few questions relating to the language… I have a basic understanding… just need a push. > > please, feel free to email me, or post and ill email ya back. > I figure this isn’t something that people are interested in knowing so I put the ‘email me’ option out there. just questions of MSA translation and transliteration… > > if this is against board rules to have an “email me” post, then feel free to post away on the board. I just realized that this is in the wrong place… not GQ material since it’s polling. sorry mods. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/3 "2006-03-02T10:40:47Z")
Not an MSA speaker here, but I’ve studied the language and have about beginning-intermediate competence in reading it (more so in my own specialty, but I don’t think the history of mathematics and astronomy is going to come up in the questions you ask!). Sure, why not post your questions here, as long as the thread is open anyway? I’m sure some people have an interest in how Arabic is transliterated, at least in the context of “why are there so many different spellings for Qaddafi?” and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/4 "2006-03-02T18:41:13Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Not an MSA speaker here, but I’ve studied the language and have about beginning-intermediate competence in reading it (more so in my own specialty, but I don’t think the history of mathematics and astronomy is going to come up in the questions you ask!). > > Sure, why not post your questions here, as long as the thread is open anyway? I’m sure some people have an interest in how Arabic is transliterated, at least in the context of “why are there so many different spellings for Qaddafi?” and so forth. Okay here we go… how would you say: “This is not your ruler!” or “That woman is my mother” or “A little bit” like I said I’m familiar with the alphabet so I wont be confused if you spell words with the arabic letter, (Alif, baa, raa, siin etc…) ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/5 "2006-03-02T22:27:09Z")
One of my (Lebanese) graduate students sez: > [@Lebanese student](#): > > I don’t know how to transliterate, but I added > the arabic spelling. > > “This is not your ruler!” > > hazihil mistaratu laysat mistarataka > Read from right to left > (kaf/taa/raa/ttaa/seen/mim - taa/seen/yaa/lam - taa > marbouta/raa/ttaa/seen/mim/lam/alef - haa/zal/haa) > > “That woman is my mother” > > Al mar2atu tilka 2ummi > (iaa/mim+shadda/alif - kaf/lam/taa - taa marbutah/hamza on > alef/raa/mim/lam/alef) > “A little bit” > > Qalilan (alef+tanoueen/lam/iaa/lam/kaf) ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/6 "2006-03-03T10:08:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Qalilan (alef+tanoueen/lam/iaa/lam/kaf) Actually, in the spelling that is supposed to be a qaf, not a kaf. ---
**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/7 "2006-03-03T20:04:53Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > Actually, in the spelling that is supposed to be a qaf, not a kaf. just as I suspected! Any idea what these mean? there’s both feminine and masculine. from right to left: F ( taa marbuta - daal - yaa - siin - laam - alif… there are shadda’s over the yaa and siin) M (daal - yaa - siin - laam - alif… shaddas also over the yaa and siin.) ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-modern-standard-arabic-speakers-out-there/346736/8 "2006-03-04T15:48:55Z")
> [@chefIL11](#): > > just as I suspected! > > Any idea what these mean? there’s both feminine and masculine. from right to left: > F ( taa marbuta - daal - yaa - siin - laam - alif… there are shadda’s over the yaa and siin) > > M (daal - yaa - siin - laam - alif… shaddas also over the yaa and siin.) Here’s what the graduate student says: > [@](#): > > taa marbuta - daal - yaa - siin - laam - alif > > ‘The Mrs.’ (or the lady) > I know it sounds wrong, but in arabic Mrs. could be indefinite as in “A lady > (taa marbuta - daal - yaa - siin) visited my mom” in which case there is no > laam - alif, or definite as in “Mrs (taa marbuta - daal - yaa - siin - laam - > alif) Smith visited my mom” in which case you need laam - alif. > > daal - yaa - siin - laam - alif > > ‘The Mr.’ > Same as above. > > To complete the list, > ‘the Miss’ (taa marbuta/siin/noun/madda on alif/laam/alif) > Miss (taa marbuta/siin/noun/madda on alif) > > There is no Ms.