Classification of Arabic languages
| South Central Semitic (Arabic) | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Arabia, Arab world |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
The South Central Semitic or Arabic language family consists of
- the living varieties of Arabic
- a number of closely related extinct dialects of pre-Islamic Arabia, summarized as Old North Arabian (ISO 639-3 xna), including
- Safaitic
- Dedanitic (Dedanite)
- Lihyanitic (Lihyanite)
- Thamudic
- Hasaitic
Old North Arabian is known from fragmentary inscriptions in Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia, dating to between roughly the 4th century BC and the 4th century AD. These dialects appear to be predecessors of Classical Arabic.
Within the Arabic group there are a number of dialects which use h- tather than al- for the definite article - these include Safaitic, Dedanite, Lihyanite, Thamudic and Hasaitic.