1. The motives

The study of Arabic in Europe can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century a variety of arguments had been assembled in its support. Frequently intended to attract an uninformed patron, not all of them stand up to critical scrutiny today, but they came to form a standard litany without which no apology of Arabic would be complete (Hamilton 1985:66–96).

The first reason, which proved remarkably resilient, was the use of Arabic for missionaries (Dannen…