Arabic

With its emergence dated to between the 1st and 4th centuries, Arabic is today the 5th most spoken language in the world. It is a semitic language originally named after the inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula and surrounding lands. In addition to serving as the liturgical language of Islam, it is the official language of 26 modern states. Due to its long history and association with various waves of conquest, migration, and cultural exchange, Arabic has also influenced many other languages in Europe, Africa, and Asia.