On Language

It's the last day of derija classes. I guess it's about time I delve into the specifics of the Arab language... it might help explain the language barrier some and hopefully proves to be interesting at the very least :) 

I've been asked a couple of times why I'm taking Moroccan Colloquial Arabic if I took Arabic in school... wouldn't I just pick it up by living there?

Well, yes, I suppose I could eventually just "pick it up," but Moroccan Colloquial Arabic (also known as derija) is a language in and of itself. Yes, it is a form of Arabic, but it is different enough that some native Arabic speakers from other regions (the Gulf, for example) may not understand derija. Derija is a dialect blending French, Arabic and some Spanish. I was told Spanish was part of the blend, but I haven't been fond of how few Spanish words I see.

I've been taking Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for the last five semesters. Problem is, no one speaks MSA to each other in the Arab world. You can't learn MSA, or fusha, through immersion. Each country or region has its on colloquial dialect. The news is presented in MSA and some other official programs such as National Geographic is also in MSA. MSA is taught in school, so little kids don't understand it and because it isn't used on a daily basis, many aren't comfortably speaking it back and forth. However, most people could understand it if need be.

Though it isn't a perfect analogy, imagine someone walked up to you and spoke Shakespearean English to you. You'd probably understand it. However, you probably wouldn't be as comfortable reproducing it and speaking it back to them. I think a similar thing happens with MSA and many Arabic speakers. Some, however, are really good at MSA and enjoy it, though most of those with whom I've interacted, aren't shy in expressing their distaste for MSA.

Derija feels like a language of quickness. Short vowels found in MSA are often replaced with sukuuns, essentially smashing three or four consonant sounds together. For example the verb "to write" in MSA is "ka-ta-ba," but in derija it becomes "k-t-b." Nope, I'm not kidding. Negating verbs is done by adding an "m" to the beginning and an "shh" to the end. This becomes tricky when stringing together many, many, many consonants.

I have loved taking the intensive crash course, but I must say that I am relieved to no longer have five hours a day of this language. It is exhausting.

I have stumbled through conversations, laughed my way through situations and managed to make do so far. Hopefully, derija becomes a bit easier after a while :)