The Position of Arabic within the Semitic Dialect Continuum

As it is well known, several different genetic classifications of the Semitic languages exist and are subject to dispute so some linguists even deny the possibility of a more or less reliable genetic classification of this group and consider such a classification as a kind of a “nice play”. This rather serious divergence of opinions must have its sources both in facts, i.e. in the Semitic languages themselves and in the method applied so far. In this paper, it is claimed that the very fact that isoglosses combining Arabic with other Semitic languages are so contradictory i.e. pointing both to the North West and to the South is proof that West Semitic languages constitute a dialect continuum in which the Arabic dialect group has an intermediate position between the North West Semitic and South Arabian. Certainly, the idea of a dialect continuum has not been unknown to Semitists but not all necessary conclusions have been drawn from it so far.