Arabized

Arabized is an adjective describing something that has been rendered into or shaped by the Arabic language or culture. It can refer to the adoption of Arabic as a language, the incorporation of Arabic vocabulary and idioms into another language, or the assimilation of cultural practices and institutions aligned with Arab or Islamic norms. The term is used in historical, linguistic, and contemporary localization contexts.

Historically, Arabization has referred to processes that followed the Arab conquests beginning in the 7th century, when Arabic became the language of administration and often of religion and education in many regions. Populations across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Iberian Peninsula experienced varying degrees of Arabization. In some areas Arabic became predominant and local languages gradually diminished in public life, while in others Arabic coexistently influenced local languages and cultures, resulting in a spectrum of Arabization levels.

In linguistic and modern usage, Arabized can describe words or names adapted to Arabic phonology and script, including transliterations and calques. In technology and media, content or software described as Arabized has been localized for Arabic-speaking users, with considerations such as right-to-left text direction, Arabic interfaces, and culturally appropriate localization.

See also:

- Arabization

- Arabic language

- Localization

- Language contact