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Azooz79 Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

arabic or arabian or arabs

Hi guys , it is obvious that I sometimes ask some questions which look silly for natives , but actualy , I get confused when using some words . My issue here is that I am a guy from a country whose people speak arabic ( it is called Oman ) , so , should I say (( I am an arabic or I am an arabian )) and when should I say (( arab or arabs )).

In my point of view , I think we could use both (( arabic and arabian )) depending on what we mean . I mean , I could say an arabic if I refer myself to the language we speak , and I could say an arabian if I refer myself to the country I live in . Am I right ???

In addition , should I say , Oman is an arabic country or an arabian country ?

thank you so much ,,,,,, regards
  

Top answer

You got me well confused, Azooz, so I went to OneLook: ( Arabian ) noun : a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia noun : a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa adjective : of or relating to Arabian horses adjective : relating to or associated with Arabia or its people (Example: "Arabian Nights") ( Arabic ) noun : the Semitic language of the Arabs; spoken in a variety of dialects adjective : relating to or characteristic of Arabs (Example: "Arabic languages") ( Arab ) noun : a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa (Example: "Arab League") noun : a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia So, to answer your questions: 1-- You may call yourself an Arabian or an Arab . Arabic is solely an adjective except for its use as the name of the language. 2-- Oman can be called an Arabic country but evidently not an Arabian country, since this latter adjective seems to refer only to (Saudi) Arabia.

— Mister Micawber

  • You got me well confused, Azooz, so I went to OneLook: ( Arabian ) noun : a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia noun : a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa adjective : of or relating to Arabian horses adjective : relating to or associated with Arabia or its people (Example: "Arabian Nights") ( Arabic ) noun : the Semitic language of the Arabs; spoken in a variety of dialects adjective : relating to or characteristic of Arabs (Example: "Arabic languages") ( Arab ) noun : a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa (Example: "Arab League") noun : a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia So, to answer your questions: 1-- You may call yourself an Arabian or an Arab .
  • Arabic is solely an adjective except for its use as the name of the language.
  • 2-- Oman can be called an Arabic country but evidently not an Arabian country, since this latter adjective seems to refer only to (Saudi) Arabia.
  • I'll wager that usage is not so strict, though.
  • What you cannot do is call yourself an Arabic , since you are not a language.
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8 Answers
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You got me well confused, Azooz, so I went to OneLook:


(Arabian)

  • noun: a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia
  • noun: a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inha
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    Yes, I agree with mister Micawber in that 'arabic' only refers to the language and in that there is a slight distinction between Arabian and Arab :
    - Arabian refers to the Arabian peninsula only (not necessarily only Saudi Arabia though, since the word probably started being used in english at a time there was no such thing as state with definite borders)
    - Arab refers to all the territori
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    Thanks Waiti-- you helped clear up my understanding.
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    Thank you so much both of you ,, I have understood what you have said in case the words (( arabian and arabic )) are nouns , but in case (( arabian and arabic )) are adjectives ,, how would I use them ??

    What I mean ,,,, can I say : I am arabic to indicate that I speak arabic and belong to an arabic country ??
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    Salaam Azooz79

    I think not... As 'forum guru' Micawber pointed it out, 'arabic' is very much restricted to the language spoken by 'arabs' or 'arabians'.

    So you could say : 'this arabic idiom is familiar to me' or 'I understand arabic when spoken by an Egyptian'. In both the first sentence (as an adjective) or the second one (as a noun) it would refer to the language.

    But
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    Salaam Waïti and thank you for your reply ,,, by the way you seem an arab , aren't you ?

    where are you from ?
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    Sorry Waïti I forgot that you mentioned you are an Algerian .
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    hello we hawe snow weter iam work

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