Shirvani Arabic: Difference between revisions

Arabic had been spoken in the region since the [[Muslim conquests|Muslim conquest]] of the [[South Caucasus]] at the beginning of the eighth century. It was brought there by Arab settlers consisting mostly of military staff, merchants and craftsmen from [[Iraq]] and [[Syria]], and was used as an official language. It experienced decline after the weakening of the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Caliphate]] in the thirteenth century and was gradually replaced by [[Persian language|Persian]]/[[Tat language (Azerbaijan)|Tat]] and [[Azerbaijani language|AzeriAzerbaijani]]. Groups of Arabs (mostly from [[Yemen]]) continued to immigrate to southern Dagestan influencing the culture and literary traditions of the local population who had already become [[Islamization|Islamized]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ih6b9iupT6oC&pg=PA89&ots=4zJYgx7ilz&dq=Anna+Zelkina&sig=bJc3Du4qtncsoaY9T2MWkkYK6ag Anna Zelkina. ''The Arabic Linguistic and Cultural Tradition in Dagestan: an Historical Overview'']. ''Arabic as a Minority Language'' by Jonathan Owens (ed.). Walter de Gruyter Publ. Berlin: 2000. {{ISBN|3-11-016578-3}}</ref>