MAGHREB ON THE SEINE

Following the sounds of Arabic to rediscover Paris

- JULIA WEBSTER AYUSO

Paris is often associated with a single language: the romantic melody of French that echoes through its cafes, bookstores and cobbled streets.

But as a cosmopolitan capital city, it is home to many more — and one in particular has helped shape the way Parisians speak, think and connect.

Arabic is France's second-most-spoken language, with roughly 4 million speakers. From cafe terraces to music, art and food, its influence is woven into the fabric of Parisian life.

As someone who moved to Paris to learn French, I've been intrigued by how many Arabic words have made their way into everyday speech. Expressions like wesh (what's up?), kiffer (to like) and bled (village, hometown) are borrowed from North African dialects and adopted into the city's vibrant slang.

Last year, curious about its role in French culture, I signed up for Arabic lessons. Aside from a basic notion of literary Arabic, they gave me an insight into how it has been influencing French for centuries, giving us words like pastèque (watermelon), magasin (shop) and jupe (skirt). Paris has also attracted Arab intellectuals, artists, students and writers who contribute to its cultural and linguistic fabric.

Yet visible traces of this influence are scattered and often overshadowed by dominant narratives of French identity. The French Constitution states that "the language of the Republic is French", and discussions around the place of Arabic in society are often highly politicised.

"Generally, the Arabic language is perceived negatively by a large part of the French population," said French-Lebanese journalist Nabil Wakim, author of Arabic For Everyone: Why My Language Is Taboo In France.

In recent years, however, a growing number of voices — from writers to historians and cultural figures — have been celebrating the history of the Arabic language and culture in the French capital and beyond.