Arabic Translation Services
Business Language Services specialises in Arabic translation (both English to Arabic translation and Arabic to English translation). We have a broad network of highly experienced, qualified professional Arabic translators, who only translate into their mother tongue. What’s more, all our Arabic translations are proofread by a second, independent linguist. BLS has an extensive database of Arabic interpreters, locally and nationwide, selected according to their expertise, specialist knowledge, friendly attitude and professional reliability. BLS also works with some of the best Arabic language tutors, enabling us to offer you tailor-made courses to match your precise needs and suit your ongoing work commitments.
The Arabic Language
Arabic is a Central Semitic language and the most widely spoken of all Semitic languages, with an estimated 280 million native speakers worldwide (though mostly concentrated in the Middle East and northern Africa). It is an official language in over 20 countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Arabic is widely considered the language of Islam, as the Qur’an (Islamic Holy Book) is written in Arabic, though most Muslims today do not speak Arabic as their native language. The word ‘qur’an’ itself literally means ‘he recited’.
There are three main variants of Arabic: Classical Arabic (in which the Qur’an is written); Modern Standard Arabic (used in most current Arabic publications and media); and Colloquial Arabic, of which there are many different regional varieties, some of which are mutually unintelligible. Though Arabic has one basic written form, the differences between the many spoken dialects are significant.
Arabic has influenced many other languages, mostly those of the Islamic world, e.g. Urdu and Persian, but also European languages (stemming from the Arab Empire’s dominant position during the Middle Ages). Spanish and Portuguese inherited a great deal of vocabulary throughout the 700 years of Moorish rule in the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus). The English language has also been indirectly enhanced (‘alcohol’ and ‘jasmine’, for example, have their roots in Arabic despite entering English via the Mediterranean languages). Arabic has also borrowed many words from other languages, e.g. Hebrew.