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Hello Friends..

I recently came across this slang language used by youngsters while chatting in Arabic. If you happen to log on to an Arabic chat room you might be lost by what you may read. The most surprising part is how the combination of numbers and letter is used to communicate with each other. The language is often used to send text messages, which is perhaps interpreted by the Arabs of the internet generation..

Check this link out for details
http://iwep.blogspot.com/2008/06/arabizi.html

Thanks, I had wondered for a while about it, but never thought to ask (I can't read Arabic anyway so was no point asking!)

I guess some people will say it's awful and wrong, and some people will say that language is always changing (being changed by the people who use it) so it's OK.

Nothing stays the same forever!

mostly because these numbers look a lot like the arabic letters that correspond to them. like if u invert "3" u get the exact shape of the "aa" sound that we say when pronouncing E3mar or what u know as Emaar which is derived from act of building.

so it would be Em3r?

Some computer kids in the west would type 3m4r , the three looking like an inverted capital 'e' and the 4 looking like an 'a'.

Speedhump wrote:so it would be Em3r?

Some computer kids in the west would type 3m4r , the three looking like an inverted capital 'e' and the 4 looking like an 'a'.

actually whoever named it Emaar doesnt seem to speak arabic, as it is absolutely wrong..cos yes it would sound like Em3r which is ridiculous. it should be E'mar or something to signify the "3" sound.

I am understanding, and see that the way non Arabic speakers pronounce Emaar, (as it is written in English) is obviously wrong!

It is a little foreign to my tongue to introduce the Arabic 'aa' sound into the word in the correct place, and if you do try then other expats think you are trying to show off!