Anastas al-Karmali’s treatise on the Arab horse republished
Kuwaiti researcher Yahia al-Kandari edited a treatise on Arab horses by Father Anastas al-Karmali (1866-1947), the Lebanese Carmelite priest and linguist. The treatise “al-Khayl al-‘Irab 3inda al-Arab wa al-A3raab” was published by Bait al-Arab. Interestingly, the title of the book features three difference uses of the term ‘Arab’.
You say that, and then leave the philologists hanging. What is the difference in meaning/usage between the three different forms, ‘Irab, Arab, and A3raab?
The difference is not easy to explain without going deep into historical narratives and contructs that need to be deconstructed in order to understand why this difference exists in the first place and what it means in which period of time (the concept of Arabness changes a lot throughout the first 8 centuries after the identity was formated). Best thing is to read Imagining the Arabs by dr Peter Webb. The whole book is about explaining the difference and coming to life of these terms. One of the thing i can say: the Arabic language shows us that there is a vital difference between Bedouin and Arab identity, especially prior to muslims retrojecting Arabs into antiquity by claiming Bedouin as the super Arabs.
in short it would be:
‘Iraab= Arab horses (its the plural of ‘Arab for horses, because horses in Arabic (khayl) is a collective not a plural of singular forms such as faras or 7usaan)
‘Arab= Arabs (people)
A3raab= Nomads (Bedouin)
Dankjewel!
Edouard I saw these photos and thought you might be interested,
https://flashbak.com/stirring-1898-portraits-of-bedouins-by-the-evangelical-american-colony-photo-department-365744/?fbclid=IwAR1BImTz4jAQy-5sTK9MEwyCF1UGFM4-Q_gJ7eGr3SgD3estSebkQGe4IIU