ALMUHIT EGYPT
ARABIC
The name Al-Muhit in Arabic, which means “The Ocean” in English, refers to the vast Arabic dictionary completed by Butrus al Boustani (1813-1883) called “Muhit al-Muhit” (“The ocean of Oceans”).
The Arabic language represents, indeed, an ocean, so deep, vast and rich.
Muhit al-Muhit dictionary by Butrus al-Boustani
Attention!
I use the word Arabic to refer to both the Modern Standard Arabic, or Fussha, and the different dialects, specifically here the Egyptian Local Dialect, or ‘Ammiya al-Masriya.
The Modern Standard Arabic is used in academia, literature, print and mass media, law and legislation and, generally, in more official contexts.
The dialect is the language currently spoken in the everyday life. While there are similarities, the dialect presents different words, grammar rules and structures from the Modern Standard Arabic. Therefore, you might feel like learning a complete new language if you have previously studied Modern Standard Arabic, especially at the beginning.
You could learn both, as in my case, to take the complete experience, but you can also prefer focusing on one of them, depending on your interests and needs.
EGYPTIAN SAYINGS
Popular sayings animate the Egyptian Local Dialect.
You can find thousand proverbs that apply in different everyday life situations. From those with religious references until the more popular (“sh’aaby”) sayings, it is common to hear specific expressions in your conversations with Egyptians. Learning them can be fun. It also helps you go deeper in the culture and history of the country.
On Our Instagram page, we regularly share Egyptian sayings, together with Arabic proverbs and poetry.
Arabic Calligraphy
While texts written in Arabic can already seem quite artistic for the various shapes of the letters, there is the specific Art of Arabic Calligraphy, which manifests a higher degree of beauty of this language.
Known in Arabic as “Khatt”, “Line”, ”Design” or “Construction” among its main meanings, it includes different styles such as the Kufic, the Naskh, the Thuluth, the Nasta’liq and the Diwani.
If you come to Egypt, you can visit the Arabic Calligraphy Museum in Alexandria and can observe writings in Arabic calligraphy all over the place, especially in mosques.
