Page:Egyptian self-taught (Arabic) (1914).djvu/14

 REMARKS ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF ARABIC. Where in English we have more than one pronunciation for a letter we are content to leave it so, but the Arabic alphabet contains a different letter for every sound in the language. Though Arabic has no p and v, it has two h sounds, two t, two s, two d, two z, and two k sounds, besides the ع and the غ sounds—which last are (as far as English is concerned) peculiar to Arabic. These two are often quoted as the chief difficulties in mastering the Arabic pronunciation; but though strange to our ears, they are soon mastered sufficiently for practical purposes. The real difficulties are more subtle, and very often not recognized until some mastery of the language has been obtained.

The ع, transcribed 'āin, is a sound which is linked with the vowel-sounds of a (long), ee (English), and u, but generally with the a, and can be distinguished from them, even by a not very precise ear. It can be attained by practice, and is a vowel-sound produced far back and down in the throat. Special throat-muscles must be developed to produce it, so that a European can never imitate the sound at the first attempt.

The غ (ghāin) is much more easily acquired, as it is a sound which is approached very nearly in many European tongues—in Northumbrian English, in the r grasseye in French, and in the German r. It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the 'gargling' position whilst pronouncing r.

The خ (khā) represents nearly the sound of the Scotch ch, as in loch, and of ch in the German language. In Egyptian it is rendered harder by placing the muscles of the throat as in clearing it.

The ج (gīm) is, in Egypt, pronounced as a hard g, but the Arab population keep the correct soft g.

The ح (hā) is quite as difficult as the 'āin to master. It is the sound of h in ' hard,' emitted with great force, and is, as