Classification of Arabic languages
| North Arabian | |
|---|---|
| South Central Semitic Arabic | |
| Geographic distribution | North Africa, Middle East, Malta |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Arabic |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | arab1394 |
The Arabic language family is divided into several categories which are: Old Arabic (pre-Islamic Arabic), the literary varieties (Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic), and the modern vernaculars.
The genealogical position of Arabic within the group of the Semitic languages has long been a problem.