Why do Arabs write from right to left, while we write from left to right?

The majority of languages in the world are read and written from left to right: websites, books, subtitles in films, etc. are all adapted to this format. Moreover, many non-European languages, at certain periods, have been forced to conform to this trend to facilitate integration into print and digital technologies. However, there are exceptions, among which the most notable is undoubtedly the Arabic language.

It presents in which countries text is written from right to left and the reasons for this.

Why is Arabic written from right to left?

Experts first discussed how Arabic script was formed, its historical connections with other languages, and commented on widespread theories about why the script is written from right to left.
Arabic script derives from the Nabataean variant of Aramaic script, which in turn originates from Phoenician script. 

"One of the earliest variants of alphabetic script is considered to be Phoenician script, and because it was executed from right to left, all scripts derived from it also share the same direction," experts noted.
That is, beyond the question, "Why is Arabic written from right to left?" it would be more accurate to ask, "Why was this writing direction characteristic of the Phoenicians and other ancient Semitic peoples?"

Based on this, the hypothesis linking the writing direction to the first scribes supposedly being left-handed lacks substantial basis. Researchers explain that Arabic script structurally adapted to writing from right to left already at its stage of formation:

"Arabic script is not called Arabic calligraphy for nothing: some letters seemingly connect precisely from right to left."

In other words, regardless of which hand was dominant for the earliest Arabic scribes, the letter forms already presupposed writing from right to left.

Scholars also emphasize that there is no religious subtext in this issue:

"Although the majority of Arabs are Muslim, there are a small number of Christian Arabs as well, and they also use the same script."

It has been added that the Phoenicians, who initiated this tradition, were generally polytheistic (belief in many gods). Therefore, the likelihood that any particular religion was a decisive factor in this matter is low.

Which languages are written from right to left – distribution and diversity

Later, the expert explained how Arabic script spread worldwide and how it changed over time, highlighting its varieties and calligraphy traditions.

Semitic languages are very ancient and played a major historical role as official languages in the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian kingdoms, and the Achaemenid Empire.

A part of this tradition has been preserved today in the newly-Aramaic languages written from right to left that are used by Assyrian Christians.

The formation of Arabic script itself took place around the 6th century AD based on the Nabataean script. However, it was clarified that even among Semitic scripts there are exceptions. For example, the Ethiopian script, which is written left to right, and the South Arabian script, which may have used the "boustrophedon" system where the direction of lines alternates, were mentioned.

Additionally, different local "styles" have emerged in regions using Arabic script. For example, a distinct "Maghrebi" variant characterized by more rounded and broader letter forms developed in the Maghreb countries. In the Ottoman Empire, a unique artistic script known as "Ottoman calligraphy," based on Arabic-Persian script and with its distinctive artistic traits, was created.

Moreover, Arabic script was once adopted by the Persians, who added four letters to represent Persian sounds not present in Arabic. Later, the Persian variant served as the basis for the writing systems of other languages (Ottoman Turkish, Kurdish, Uyghur, as well as the languages of peoples in Afghanistan and Pakistan).

Who writes from right to left today in the world

At the end, experts highlighted the importance of Arabic script for art, education, and other languages. Due to Islamic cultural restrictions on depicting living beings, text and writing have become the main decorative element:

"Therefore, Arabic script has acquired numerous artistic forms, styles, and fonts used in decorating mosques and palaces."

Regarding the educational process, in Arab countries, script acquisition proceeds differently from our experience. The process starts simply with a "ruqa" script, after which students progress to more complex calligraphy styles, as in China and Japan.

At the same time, the expert dismissed theories that the direction of writing influences the structure of sentences in spoken language. Peoples writing from right to left can have any syntactic model.
(lent.az)