What is the difference between Turkish and Arabic?

Turkish vs Arabic Language

Religions can affect the languages individuals speak in different ways. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, and all of them can read Arabic. As a liturgical language, Arabic has influenced various tongues around the world. In some cases, the influence of the language is very obvious. The scripts of some of the tongues that have been influenced by Arabic are also similar. Although Turkish is written in the Latin alphabet, it still shares a few similarities with Arabic. But a simple Turkish vs Arabic analysis can show you how different the two languages are.

The Turkish Language:

Turkish is a Turkic language that has 88 million speakers in the world. It is the official language of Turkey. The Turkish language is also spoken by smaller groups in Syria, Iraq, Germany, Austria, Lebanon, and other parts of Europe and Asia. And it was during the time of the Ottoman Empire that the Ottoman Turkish became popular in the west. Turkish, like other Turkic languages, have had various scripts in the past. For a thousand years, the Arabic script was used for writing the tongue. But in 1928, the alphabet was changed as a part of the Atatürk’s Reforms. The Latin script was used to create the new Turkish alphabet, which is still in use.
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Honorifics are common in the Turkish language. The Turkish people also use the T-V distinction to refer to family members, friends, and strangers. There are various dialects of the Turkish language, and all of them are equally unique. Not all the dialects spoken within Turkey are mutually intelligible with each other. The small ethnic groups within Turkey have their unique dialects of the language. These dialects have been influenced by the native tongues of the ethnic groups.

The Arabic Language

Arabic is a Semitic language that is the lingua franca of the Arab world. There are 310 million native speakers of the Arabic language. It is recognized as an official language in 26 states, including Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Since the Quran and Hadith were written in Arabic, the language is sacred for the followers of Islam. Since Arabic introduced new concepts of science, mathematics, and philosophy to European audiences, it has influenced various tongues of the continent. Spanish vocabulary has a significant percentage of Arabic words. Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Kashmiri, Pashto, etc., have also been heavily influenced by Arabic.

Arabic is considered one of the most complex tongues in the world. This is why Arabic courses are often longer than other language courses. Arabic has multiple varieties that are spoken in different countries. However, the Arabic script used for writing these varieties is the same everywhere. The sounds of vowels and consonants in Arabic are also very unique. The final short vowels are not pronounced in most cases. The different Arabic accents also influence the sounds.

What is the difference between Turkish and Arabic?

Humans learn through association, which is why they love to find similarities between different things. If we find similarities between objects, we get a sense of familiarity. This sense of familiarity can help us feel calm in a strange environment. But sometimes, we end up seeing connections that don’t really exist. Various tongues have been influenced by Arabic, but that does not mean that they are related to it in some way. There is a common misconception that Arabic and Turkish have a connection or maybe similar origin. But through a Turkish vs Arabic comparison, you can easily figure out that the two tongues are not related. They do share a few similarities, but that is only because of the popularity of Arabic among religious people.

Here are the main differences between Turkish and Arabic:

1. Language Families:

Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family, whereas Turkish belong to the Turkic family. This proves that the two tongues have completely different origins. They don’t have similar origins. The only effects they have had on each other are because of environmental factors. The origins of Turkish and Arabic can also help us understand them in a much better way.

2. Geographical Distribution:

It is true that both Turkish and Arabic were popular in Europe at one point, but their geographical distribution today is completely different. Turkish is spoken in Europe only because of Turkey’s geographical location. Where it is spoken in Europe and Central Asia, Arabic is the language of Africa and the Middle East.

3. Phonology:

The Arabic sounds also make the language different from Turkish. There are many ‘h’ sounds in Arabic, but there is only one in Turkish. This is one of the reasons why people from Turkey have a hard time reading the Quran. But with practice, anyone can become perfect. Spending time in an Arabic speaking country like Egypt or Syria will also help you with learning the pronunciations.

4. Different Scripts:

Both Turkish and Arabic have different writing systems. They may share a few common words, but their written forms are completely different from each other. Although it is true that Turkish was written in the Arabic abjad in the past, even that was only because of the influence of Islam. There is no direct link between the two tongues.

5. History:

Studying the history of both Turkish and Arabic can help you figure out the differences between them. Arabic first emerged in the 1st century CE. But the earliest known record of Oghuz, the ancestor of Turkish, can be traced back to the 11th century. This proves that the two tongues originated at different times in history and had no direct connection.

Is it easier for Arabic speakers to learn Turkish?

Just because you know one of the world’s most difficult tongues does not mean that you can learn other vernaculars easily. The speakers of Arabic have a hard time learning English because of its different writing system and grammar. However, there are a few tongues that will be easier for you to learn if you are a native speaker of Arabic. But Turkish is not one of those tongues. It belongs to a different language family and uses the Latin writing system. Even familiarizing yourself with the basic sentences can take a long time. Conclusion: Turkish vs Arabic; there are a lot  of differences.

However, this does not mean that learning Turkish is impossible for you. You will have to find a good language teacher in order to become fluent in Turkish. It is important to have a reason for learning a language and then keeping it in mind to stay motivated. And once you come across Arabic words in Turkish, you will feel energized and relaxed. Seeing words from your native tongue in a foreign language can elevate the mood of a person.

What to do when I need translations of my Arabic documents?

Language services are not something you have to worry about these days. You can get translations easily through the internet. You will have to find a good agency on your own. But once you manage to find a good agency, you won’t have to worry about the rest. They will handle your Arabic documents in a professional manner and make sure you get the best possible results. If you compare the rates of agencies before hiring them, you will be able to find a company with affordable charges. If you will choose the right agency, you won’t be charged unfairly, and you will receive the translation of your documents within 24 hours.