Is the word “Arab” simply an abbreviation for Arabian or Arabic or can it stand alone?
Is the word “Arab” simply an abbreviation for Arabian or Arabic or can it stand alone?
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It is its own stand-alone word. Here is the entry from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
Main Entry: 1Ar·ab
Pronunciation: ‘a-r&b, ‘er-&b; dial also ‘A-“rab
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin Arabus, Arabs, from Greek Arab-, Araps, of Semitic origin; akin to Akkadian Arabu, Aribi desert nomads, Arabic A`rAb Bedouins
1 a : a member of the Semitic people of the Arabian Peninsula b : a member of an Arabic-speaking people
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It can stand alone, as in “A person who comes from Saudi Arabia is an Arab, like a person who comes from Britain is a Brit”.
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“Arabian” describes the location of Arabia. “Arabic” is the language. “Arab” describes a denizen of Arabia.
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can stand alone.
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