Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Arabic studies
(1,118 words)

The term Arabistics for Arabic studies did not appear in Europe until after 1850, but since around 1500 European scholars had been engaged in the scientific study of the language and literature of the Arabs, as well as their history and culture. While in the Middle Ages scholars studied the most important language of the Islamic world, the language of the Quran, solely for evangelistic purposes (Mission), the Reconquista, the Reformation, and Humanism altered the motives of scholars for engaging with Arabic.

When direct military confrontation came to an end in Spain, a re…

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Mangold, Sabine, “Arabic studies”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_016950>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20160321



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