The Top Languages in the Middle East - Essay Example

The Top Languages in the Middle East

Language is one of the fundamental building pillars of society. Socializing without a common means of communicating borderlines an impossibility. Consequently, societies in the past formed around a common lingo regardless of where they chose to settle. Many regions of the world play host to diverse societies with a range of spoken and written languages. The Middle East countries are not different. There are over 25 languages spoken in the region, with five being the majority.

The official language for the territory is Arabic. The countries in these territories have adopted it as their official language. If you visit the countries adjacent to the Middle East with no Arabs, you will note that they have adopted some Arab dialects, and they diligently use them in their everyday spoken communication. Arabic is part of the Semitic category of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Other variations to the dialect are the Mehri and Soqotri, which are extensively spoken by the Omanis and the Yemeni. Aramaic is a variant dialect that borrows heavily from Arabic.

Arabic speakers of the Middle East are from the Afro-Asiatic group, while the individuals who speak Kurdish and Persian hail from the Indo-European community. There are 20 more languages spoken in the region in addition to the five above.

People in the Middle East region also speak Persian even though people in neighboring Iran still speak it. Persian is part of the Indo-Iranian lingos. Other dialects adopted and spoken in the region include the Semmani and Achomi dialects.

Turkish is also among the top languages in the Middle East that are popularly spoken by the Turks. Turkey is a large and densely populated country, meaning that a considerable number of human beings in the region communicate with each other in Turkish. The language belongs to the broader Turkic languages. Other members include the Azerbaijani, which is widely spoken by the Azerbaijanis found in Iran. In this case, the wider lingo always has some sub-dialects that could be related to some extent. Their speakers might not understand each other but do share some basics.

Israel boasts of two formal languages that are widely spoken by its citizens; Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is spoken by about 80 percent of the population, while Arabic is spoken by the remaining 20 percent. In Israel, Hebrew is used in most advertisements and business places. As you will see later on, their choice of spoken language is the sustenance of their culture combined with a merger with their immediate and strategic partners to ensure smooth communication.

Even though English is a commonly spoken lingua franca in countries across the world, very few people in this territory are fluent in it. The few people who speak it learn it on their own as a second language. They find it essential to sealing international deals with other nationals who do not understand their lingo. While they might not be as fluent as people from different regions who have adopted English as their go-to second language, it is still possible to hold conversations with middle and upper-class inhabitants of the region in English.

Other international lingoes are not commonly spoken in the Middle East since they did not readily adopt the languages of their colonizers. Some hobbyists still learn lingos like French with Lebanon standing out for adopting French as a choice official business language. French is also spoken by the school-going children of Lebanon.

Israel is another unique country in the territory that has its language inclinations. Most of its citizens speak Hebrew. The second spoken language of choice is Russian. Georgia speaks Georgian. Another unique lingo in the area is Circassian. Circassians also have a good command of Hebrew, as it is a better language for interactions in their immediate region.

The specific choices countries make when settling for a second language depend on who they interact most with. The trend is clear to see in the Middle East. Communities willingly learn a second lingo depending on who their immediate financial relations are. This is why even though the region has over 25 native spoken lingoes, there still is infiltration of imported lingos that are equally important.

The Political-Security Importance

The Middle East has many natural resources that influence what country is more powerful than the other. Oil is their biggest resource. This wealth, however, is not responsible for their boundaries. This dates back to 1945 after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

The area was cleaved up based on the interests of the European colonizers who were widely spread in the area. Religious, ethnic, or racial concerns of the natives weren't taken into consideration when putting up the boundaries. This forced people without any common background to share countries while their ethnic relatives were forcefully flung into another country. They may not be very friendly to each other, but they have to put up with their neighbors for survival's sake. This dependence has also caused some long and short-term conflicts between particular countries in the Middle East. Therefore, the area is significant to the people living in it, and other people around the world as well.

Economic Importance of the Middle East

The Middle is the world's largest producer of crude oil and energy. The production is still ongoing; however, the area has experienced an increase in development and crises that have slowed down production. When World War 2 ended, the countries in the Middle became an attraction site to superpowers because of their resources. They continually became essential to the world economy, and superpowers forced them to adopt various mechanisms to increase development.

Even though their production status in the world, the Middle has endured rife political tension and crises. This was partly because of Israel and sustained meddling by superpowers, who wanted to control the many available natural resources. The political pressure led to constant fights with Israel and the superpowers over the resources, and most leaders did not fully develop this area. The superpowers were willing to start developing the area to get hold of some of its resources. Because of this involvement, most development in the area is tied to the international political economy.