Arablish

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Arablish (a portmanteau of Arabic and English) is slang for Arabic–English code-switching or the macaronical combination of English and Arabic. The Arablish term was first recorded in 1984.Lambert, James. 2018. A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity. English World-wide, 39(1): 31-32. DOI: 10.1075/eww.38.3.04lam It is alternatively termed Arbalizi, a portmanteau combining the words Arabic and Inglizi (the word for English in Arabic).

File:Arablish_restaurant_“Lazeez_Cafe”_Nov_2023.jpg

It is used, particularly among the youth, because of their poor knowledge of English, Arabic, or both, or for humorous effect. Arablish is becoming increasingly used in ordinary conversations and online.[http://www.mideastwire.com/topstory.php?id=6351 Al-Quds al-Arabi (via Mideastwire): The 'Arablish' language spreading amongst the Jordanian elite] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714090902/http://www.mideastwire.com/topstory.php?id=6351 |date=July 14, 2011 }}

Arablish usually consists of either filling in gaps in one's knowledge of Arabic with English words, speaking Arabic in such a manner that (although ostensibly "Arabic") would be incomprehensible to an Arab language speaker who does not also have a working knowledge of English.