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From: Peter Bromfield <peter@ren.er.usgs.gov>
Subject: Re: Languages: Hard, Harder, Hardest
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GnhBos wrote:
> 
> In article <4t131l$lgt@news.xs4all.nl>, mcv@pi.net (Miguel Carrasquer
> Vidal) writes:
> 
> >I very much doubt this is a question of race.  `ayin and Haa are
> >common sounds in some languages of the Caucasus (the speakers of     > >which
> >are caucasians, linguistically as well as racially).  The Arabs
> >themselves are of course caucasians racially.
> 
> Arabs are Semites, just like the Jews. We refer to each other
> as "cousins". The people of the East Mediterranean are much
> influenced by "Al Fateh El- Arabi". Races interacted and intermarried
> creating today's Arabs. Some of them, do not like to be referred
> to as "Arabs", but "Phoenicians", or "Syrians with very close ties
> to the Arabs".

Do the Syrians and northern Iraqis (particularly the less-educated
peasants) seem to be less emphatic in articulating the letters Haa',
gayn, 'ayn and qaaf? The further down south you go, how does the accent
change as far as the guttoral letters are concerned? By the way,
'Semite' is no longer used as a racial term.

-Peter

> 
> George N. Hallak
> ARAMedia Group,  Arabization & Software Center
> Programers/Localizers/Graphic Designers
> Tel. 617.770.0250 Fax. 617.770.9191
> URL: http://members.gnn.com/ascboston/aramedia.htm
