The introduction to the Arabic language by the renowned linguist Georg Freytag is fast becoming difficult to find. Written in German, this precise presentation is intended for a general readership which has no background in previous Semitic language study. The Arabic period covered for this historic grammar is that of Mohammed and later. In some ways an unconventional approach Freytag introduces topics such as Arabic names and the history of the Arabs, even prior to Mohammed’s time. An outline of the Arabic language and its dialects is presented. Other topics of importance to classic Arabic writing are also addressed, including genealogy, songs, magic and genies, water, death, and games. More traditional areas such as the Koran, the Kabba and fasting are also touched upon. A period piece that retains its functionality, this introduction to Arabic is more than a grammar, it is a view into the life of the Arabian world.

Georg Wilhelm Freytag (1788-1861) was a famed philologist of the classic European tradition. Educated at the prestigious University of Paris, he was Professor of Oriental Languages at the University of Bonn.