Language quiz – Arabic

Here are some recordings of people for a number of different countries speaking Arabic. Can you work out where they’re from and what types of Arabic they’re speaking?

Comments (17)

PodolskyMay 5th, 2007 at 2:08 pm

No. 1 – Egyptian
2 – Syrian
3 ?
4 – Moroccan
5 – Saudi?

James KMay 5th, 2007 at 4:40 pm

While several are speaking quite educated Arabic (close to Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA), there are some accent cues that help to identify the likely origins of the speakers. The hard ‘g’ in number one is an Egyptian marker, for example.

Overall, I agree with Podolsky. My guesses are:

1. Egypt / Egyptian
2. Syria / Levantine
3. This one is a mystery to me…
4. Morocco or vicinity / Magrabi
5. Saudi or other Gulf State / Khaliji

Laci the HunMay 5th, 2007 at 6:09 pm

Yes it’s pretty hard coz most of them are very close to the standard version

1.seems to be Egyptian coz of the “g” (but he’s using the uvular qaaf instead of the glottal stop… interesting)
2. seems to be Standard Arabic
3. haven’t the faintest idea
4. It’s Daarija/Moroccan for sure (but normally they use iyyeh for yes, so this is not everaday Moroccan)
5. there is a “j” in it (like in “usually”) so maybe an educated N-African

TJMay 5th, 2007 at 9:59 pm

1. Egyptian
2. Egyptian (with more standard arabic)
3. Iraqi (with more standard Arabic)
4. Moroccan
5. Laventine (more like Lebanese than Syrian)

TJMay 6th, 2007 at 6:12 am

Levantine ..sorry :)

SimonMay 6th, 2007 at 10:26 am

TJ has got them right:

1. Egyptian
2. Modern Standard from Egypt
3. Iraqi from Baghdad
4. Moroccan
5. North Levantine Arabic from Lebannon

TJMay 6th, 2007 at 4:24 pm

tataaaaaa :)

ISPKNMay 9th, 2007 at 7:15 pm

that was easy. I wish I had gone here earlier.

BenMay 17th, 2007 at 9:05 am

Man, that first one is even kinda Modern Standard-ish for me too. Using words like “جداً” (giddan)? Kinda stuck up, if you ask me.

The second one was super clear. Where did you get that, a textbook?

And those Maghribis really don’t believe in vowels, do they?

-Ben

KarimMay 27th, 2007 at 10:01 pm

The first half of number 1 is a quote in standard Arabic, the rest is in Egyptian Arabic. This is what gives the inconsistency in the qaf.

My best guess about the source of the clips is from some Evangelical Christian tapes.

John KnaphusJune 19th, 2007 at 7:18 pm

1. Egypt
2. Syria
3. Iraq?
4. Morocco
5. Saudi

MohammadJuly 9th, 2007 at 9:17 am

1. Egypt.
2. Egypt.
3. Iraq.
4. Morocco.
5. Laventine (Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan or Syria).

ShamiOctober 17th, 2007 at 7:09 am

1- Egyptian
An Egyptian starts out by asking, in badly pronounced Modern Standard Arabic, “Can we know God”, and then shifts to colloquial Egyptian. President Nasser used to start his speeches with an MSA section and then shift smoothly into refined spoken Egyptian. This mixing seems to strike a cord with Egyptians.

2- Egyptian
A more eloquent Egyptian reading in Modern Standard Arabic directly from the New Testament.

3- Gulf / Iraq
It is difficult to hear the difference between Iraqi and Gulf accents, not the least because there are many varieties of each. Both usually feature throat intensive sounds strongly pronounced (Qaf especially).

4- Maghrebi (Morocco / Tunisia / Algeria)

5- Levantine (Probably Urban Palestinian or Southern Syrian if you ask me)

sarielleNovember 18th, 2007 at 5:45 am

Well, … 1. Egyptian
2. Egyptian
3. Iraqi…Kuwaiti overtones
4. Tunisian
5. Syrian

When will the anwers be revealed? We’re battling over it! :)

sarielleNovember 18th, 2007 at 5:47 am

oops! just caught the answers above…well, some of us weren’t too far off!

wissemMay 4th, 2008 at 1:55 am

1- Egyptian.

2- Egyptian.

3- Iraqi.

4- Moroccan.

5- Lebanese.

PetruzaMay 7th, 2008 at 5:07 pm

1- no idea
2- no idea
3- no idea
4- no idea
5- french?

PS: Just kidding, I’m learning Arabic, ina few months I’ll tell you if I can understand them.