The Arabic language is unique in the way it is categorized. Countries in the Arab world have superimposed the word “Arabic” to refer to Modern Standard Arabic, a standardized variety of language considered a more formal register of language based on the classical texts and the grammar of the Quran and a non-native language to Arabs. Any variation from MSA is considered a “dialect” of Arabic, the first language of Arabs, rendering Arabic in a state of diglossia. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the significance of Arabic diglossia in Egypt and the Levant under the theoretical framework of the dimensionality of linguistic variability, in this case, social prestige. The conclusion is that the language attitudes surrounding Arabic diglossia are progressively shifting to an acceptance of dialectal categorization and usage of the language form in its various social contexts.
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Author information Authors and AffiliationsJeannine Rainbolt College of Education, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Genevieve A. Schmitt
Correspondence to Genevieve A. Schmitt .
Editor information Editors and AffiliationsDepartment of Geography, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Stanley D. Brunn
Research Centre Deutscher Sprachatlas, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
Roland Kehrein
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
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