Page 207 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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Learning the A. B. C.’S Again

Miss Swantina De Young

F OUR language study consisted only of the A. B. C.’s of Arabic,
that is, strictly speaking, of only the learning of the characters,
there would be very little to tell you. Our story would be short.
The new„missionary is given the first two years on the held for
language work and is not appointed to regular work until he has cum-
plclctl il. Iluw fortunate this in I I imagine enough blunder* are made
liter one lias become familiar with the lunguage but whut an Infinite i.
number are avoided by not putting the new people to work until they
know a reasonable amount of the language. Even if one did know how
to speak with the Arabs it would still be difficult for one would not
understand the customs and peculiarities of the people. So the first two
vears give one time not only for acquiring the tongue but also for learn­
ing to know the people by contact with them in their homes, in the *
hospitals, and in their visits to us.
, After we had signed the rules and regulations of the Arabian Mission ,
at the Annual Meeting in Basrah, we were given a paper which said,
•The first examination shall consist of------,” and it went on telling
what we should know^a year from then. The requirements were a
knowledge of Arabic grammar, sight translation from the gospels of
Matthew and John including dictation and some memory work, conversa­
tion with a native on some familiar topic, penmanship, and English read­
ing of three books on Arabia and Islamics. Truly we did have a year
uf real work ahead of us./' Dr. Calverley and Mr. Moerdyk were
appointed as our advisors on the language committee.
On the morning of November thirteenth we had the last session of
Annual Meeting and then we were off across the desert for Kuwait, our
new home. It had been chosen for the language station first of all
because of its good climate.- There is very little fever here while some
of the language students in past years have had fever for several months ;
and it was very difficult to study under those conditions. The second
reason for choosing Kuwait was because of its good Arabic. ' Arabic, as
«dl as other languages, has its dialects but the Kuwait Arabic is very
pure. .l
The first days here were spent in unpacking our furniture and getting
Killed. Whut fun it was. On one uf these duys we wanted a ladder
but didn't know how to ask the servant for it. We had'to resort to
die inonkey-like motions of a man climbing a ladder arid were under­
wood 1 We got what we wanted. The same method has helped us out
u( many another difficulty hut all words cannot he dramatized. A few
days later Dr. Calverley and the De Jongs and myself had a consultation
lUiut our work and plans were made for beginning lessons.
Our Arabic “muallim” or teacher is Abdu Salaam, a very fine young
Arab with a surprising knowledge of the English language. One day in
d* course of our Arabic conversation we were talking about inotm
ufi. 1 said, "A car that a man rents is called a taxi.” He said, You
Wt mean rent, you mean hire.” During the last few weeks a car has
apjicared here with the word “texi” painted on its license. We have
uir lessons with Abdu Salaam every morning after station prayers.
During that time we read the Gospel in Arabic, translate some of it, go
tier memory work, and are drilled on words and in conversation. The