Mitchell Writing Arabic

Mitchell T. F. Writing Arabic A Practical Introduction to Ruq'ah Script, London Oxford University Press 1958
Fine

162 pages plus a short bibliography intended primarily to assist beginners. A bright clean copy in a green cloth cover 10" tall with gilt titles on the spine. Reprint No Dustjacket Cloth 4to

[SW: Writing, Arabic Script, Dictionaries and Atlases and Reference]

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Mitchell, T.F.: Writing Arabic. A Practical Introduction to Ruq'ah Script. London: Oxford University Press, 1970. ISBN: 197135668
Einband gering berieben. - The Arabic script is world-wide. In general, it links writing and printing more closely than the Roman character, though correct writing cannot be learned from type. Calligraphy is an art the neglect of which is not only an artistic but a grammatical defect, since the form and function of letters is an essential part of grammar. This book has a practical as well as an academic purpose, for it is intended to help the student to shape his hand to the most useful form of Arabic writing. - 1. This book was originally planned to appear in two parts, the first devoted to the written, and the second to the spoken form of Arabic. In the meantime, however, in collaboration with Professor J. R. Firth, I have re-written Gairdner's "Phonetics of Arabic" in which has been incorporated the material due to appear in the projected second part of the present book. The latter, therefore, is now concerned solely with the Arabic written symbol, but, to build his Arabic studies on firm foundations, the student should use both books, keeping in mind that the letter has not only shape but also phonetic power and grammatical function. He should study them serially in whichever order he pleases: it is felt inadvisable to use both simultaneously since systematic instruction in Arabic written and- spoken forms must follow different sequences; thus, for example, when studying the written form, it is necessary to introduce ab initio letters the phonetic powers of which were best described at a later stage. Finally in this connection, both books should, of course, be studied in conjunction with a good grammar. 2. This little book is intended primarily to assist beginners. It is a curious fact that students of Arabic have in the past strangely neglected those elements of grammar without which there would be no grammar, viz. the letters. The infrequency with which one encounters European scholars having a knowledge of the Arabic script has often been observed, but we may go further and say that the number of those who write Arabic in an acceptable manner is remarkably small. We may note, too, in passing that handwriting shortcomings are not confined to students of languages having exotic scripts; a letter written in French by an English scholar of French rarely, if ever, looks French, and if the language had been, say, a Scandinavian one, the foreign origin of the writer would have been even more immediately revealed. There exists, then, it would seem, a definite hiatus at the beginning of all language instruction which a systematic study of written forms v/ould do much to remove. This hiatus is at its widest when the habitue of a given alphabet is confronted with another, when, for example, the user of a native roman script is called upon to write Arabic. 3. There is, too, an unjustifiable tendency among beginners either to look upon the Arabic script as something of a "bogey", or to consider its subsequent cultivation a waste of time once they have mastered what they consider to be the essentials. We can dispose of the first attitude v/ith the assurance that the cult of the Arabic script is in no way esoteric, and that, given due application, its principles may be assimilated within a month. The second approach is probably inspired by a diffidence that is quite misplaced. Practice will soon produce a "good hand", and the advantages that this confers are surely patent. Apart from the need to cope with letters, manuscripts, etc., the sense of common courtesy demands that we strive to achieve at least a minimum of, not only phonetic, but also written acceptability. The ability to v;rite (and pronounce) Arabic acceptably is a sure v/ay of earning the Arab's respect; in this connection, it is well to remember that calligraphy among the many peoples wao employ the Arabic alphabet is regarded as an art second only, if not equal to painting. There is a case in Arabic for the pen, and especially the reed-pen, being mightier than the sword. ... (Einführung). ISBN 197135668

163 S. Broschiert.

[SW: Ruq'ah Schrift, Arabisch, Sprache, Schrift, Arabic, Phonetik, Linguistik]

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Mitchell, T.F. Writing Arabic: A Practical Introduction to Ruq'ah Script, N Y. Oxford University Press 1988 ; weicher Einband / soft cover ISBN: 0198151500
0198151500 Near Fine

A clean, unmarked copy with a tight binding. 163 pages. Trade Paperback

Details

Mitchell, T. F.: Writing Arabic. A practical introduction to Ruq'ah Script. London, Oxford Iniversity Press, 1966.
In englischer Sprache. Einband etwas unfrisch. In english language. Binding shows slight traces of usage.

163 S., 25 cm, Ln. (cloth)

[SW: Sprachwissenschaften, Arabisch]

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