Modern Standard Arabic (MSA or Fossha) is nobody's mother tongue, but it is the language that every educated Arab from Mauritania to Iraq understands. It is the language newspapers and books are written in across the Arab World and is used in most TV shows and radio broadcasts. Very few Arabs anywhere speak it in its pure form (even if Egyptians tend to think they do), because most people will use their local dialect (learn more about Moroccan Arabic here). If you hear two Moroccans speaking to each other in Fossha, that’s usually a sign that they are joking.

In Morocco, the Arabic language arrived in the country over 1300 years ago with the Arab Muslim conquerors, although its spread was slow at first. However, Arabic has been considered a prestigious language for a millennium. After Morocco gained its independence in the mid-1950s, it went through a process of Arabization in an attempt to unite the country. Presently, Modern Standard Arabic is the primary language used in the government, legislation, and judiciary in the countries of the Maghreb, including Morocco. Moroccans study Modern Standard Arabic in school, but it is not spoken at home or on the streets. However, MSA is frequently used in administrative offices, mosques, and schools. Classical Arabic is still only used in literary and cultural aspects, formal traditional speeches, and discussions about religion. 

What is the difference between Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic?

Modern Standard Arabic is the version of Arabic that is standardized and universally understood by those literate in Arabic. "Western scholars make a distinction between ‘Classical Arabic’ and ‘Modern Standard Arabic,’ while speakers of Arabic generally do not consider CA and MSA to be different languages.” The Western definition of Classical Arabic, then, is that it is the literary form of Arabic used from the pre-Islamic era and throughout the Middle Ages, and is the liturgical language of Islam since the Quran is also written in Classical Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is the direct descendent of Classical Arabic. So then, what is Fossha? Fossha (الفصحى) in Arabic means “The Eloquent” and is used to describe BOTH Classical and Modern Standard Arabic. 

What is the difference between Fossha and Moroccan Arabic?

Fossha contains several sounds and letters that do not exist in Moroccan Arabic (Darija). These letters are “tha” ث, like in the word “three,” “dāl” ذ, like in the word “this,” and the sound “Dad” like in the word “those.” The Arabic language in general, and especially Fossha, is called “The Language of Dãd” because it is the language that contains the special sound of “Dãd.”

How is MSA helpful? 

Because most Arabic-speaking countries also use a dialect of Arabic, it makes sense to ask yourself if it is better to learn an Arabic dialect or to study Modern Standard Arabic. MSA is helpful in numerous ways. First, to engage with any written Arabic communication, it is necessary to know MSA. This is true with documents, books, and signs. Second, to take in information in an Arabic-speaking country through listening to the news as well as other media, MSA is required. For daily life, and for anyone who has a serious interest in history and culture in the Arab world, engaging through standardized, literary Arabic will be required. Additionally, even in Morocco, people will often mix a great deal of Fossha into their speech with foreigners, and so studying MSA will open up further doors for communication. In fact, many foreigners living in Morocco will find that when they tell Moroccans they are learning Arabic, Moroccans will then speak in Fossha because they believe Darija cannot be taught.

For those living in Morocco or another Arabic-speaking country, students of an Arabic dialect may find it helpful to continue or complement their studies with Fossha. At a certain level of advanced Darija, much of the vocabulary is directly from MSA, particularly when discussing politics, religion, education, or other topics. 

Related Articles