Arabiclike

Arabiclike is a descriptive label used in typography and linguistic discussion to denote features that resemble Arabic in appearance or influence. It is not a formal term in the core linguistics of Arabic but appears in design and descriptive contexts to signal similarity without using the actual Arabic script.

In typography, Arabiclike fonts imitate elements of Arabic calligraphy, including ligatures, contextual letter shaping, and a right-to-left orientation. Such fonts are used for decorative branding, display purposes, or to evoke a Middle Eastern aesthetic without employing authentic Arabic text, and they may not convey legible Arabic content to readers.

In linguistic and cultural contexts, the phrase may be used informally to describe features influenced by Arabic, such as loanword patterns, stylistic choices, or calqued phrases in other languages. It is not a formal hypothesis about a language family.

Script and writing system: True Arabic script is an abjad written from right to left; Arabiclike designs may reflect these properties but do not constitute true Arabic orthography.

See also: Arabic script; abjad; ligature; calligraphy; right-to-left; typography; font.