The Arabic alphabet has a rich history, one that is closely linked with the development of culture and society in the Middle East. In this comprehensive introduction the authors trace the origins of the Arabic alphabet back to Aramaic, which also gave rise to the Hebrew and Greek alphabets. Using detailed illustrations the authors investigate early Arabic papyri and early Islamic inscriptions as well as classical Arabic scripts. John F. Healey and G. Rex Smith bring the story up to the present day by examining the practice of calligraphy, printing and computing in Arabic.

This answer key is to be used with Alif Baa: Introduction to Letters and Sounds, Third Edition. Please note that this answer key is only useful to students and teachers who are NOT using the companion website, which includes self-correcting exercises.

"An introduction to reading and writing Arabic"--Cover.

Discusses the basics of the Arabic language and provides instruction in the Arabic alphabet.

"This book proceeds step by step through all the letters of the Arabic alphabet, showing the sounds they stand for and how they are combined into words. Nothing essential is left out, but no unnecessary complications are added. Readers will find that progress is rapid and will be surprised at the relative ease with which they master the first steps in learning this important world language."--Publisher.

The Middle East and other Arabic-speaking regions are of central importance in the world today. This handy booklet, designed to be carried in one's pocket, presents the basics of reading and understanding Arabic script. It begins with an introduction to the alphabet and the pronunciation of Arabic characters. The book also features the rules of reading and writing the language, including reading direction, consonant-vowel elisions, and, of course, letter linkages or ligatures, notoriously the most difficult aspect of the script to learn. It is an essential tool for travelers, businesspeople, and military personnel in the Middle East and other places where Arabic is spoken.

00 In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages. In this generously illustrated book, John Healey outlines the basic principles of the early alphabet and describes the first attempts at alphabetic writing in the Semitic languages.