In every field of study, there are volumes considered fundamental to the library of knowledge. So it is with Mary Catherine Bateson's Arabic Language Handbook. At a time when the English-speaking world is coming to the realization that the Arabic-speaking world has languished in our attention, this essential handbook reappears at an opportune time in the Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Liguistics series. There is no greater key to understanding a people or a culture than understanding the language. With the renewed interest in the Middle East and the subsequent demand for materials related to the Arabic-speaking nations, this reprint of a genuinely "gold-standard" language volume provides a streamlined reference on the structure of the Arabic language and issues in Arabic linguistics, from dialects to literature. The core information on the structure of the language remains accurate, and Bateson's volume continues to be the most concise reference summary for researchers, linguists, students, area specialists, and others interested in Arabic. This edition is enhanced by a new foreword by Karin C. Ryding, who collaborated with Margaret Nydell to update and expand the bibliography. This easy-to-read, easy-to-use handbook also provides information about the rich history of the language. Covering both modern standard and colloquial Arabic, this treasure in the literature will reward both the generalist and the specialist with its clarity and usefulness.