The Semantic Similarity between some Syriac and Arabic Vocabulary, the Letter (qōp - qāf) as a Model

Abstract

Many researchers in the field of linguistics have dealt with the classification of languages into families, each of which includes a group of languages; that is why I do not find it necessary to address it in this abstract, but what concerns me here is one of these families, namely the Semitic. Semitic languages are rich in their vocabulary because they are derivative languages, and they can keep pace with all ages and coin neologisms.

This family includes a group of languages, some of which are still ranked among the first in the world in terms of the number of speakers, such as Arabic, and some have preserved their historical heritage and have a store of manuscripts that are still being studied by specialists and experts, such as Syriac, Hebrew, and Aramaic and some languages have extinct, such as Akkadian.

This study examines the semantic resemblance that can be found among these languages in terms of their vocabulary, especially between Syriac and Arabic, in addition to various examples related to other Semitic languages.

The main goal of this study is not only to identify the lexical items in common but also to manifest the huge amount of similarity, which sometimes goes beyond the third and fourth meaning of these words, as in the case of the verb ‘qḏam’. This in turn leads us to the conclusion that Syriac and Arabic are two languages ​​with very rich vocabulary. This is one of the traits of the Semitic languages, which is worth being proud of and taking advantage of.