Dolly Pentreath, a fish seller from Cornwall in the United Kingdom, had a saying: "My ny vynnav kewsel Sowsnek" ("I will not speak English"). Dolly died in 1777, and with her died the traditional Cornish language. Dolly is popularly known, if not in fact, as the last speaker of Cornish. Thanks to written sources, herculean efforts and a man who claimed that he kept the language alive by using it to communicate with his cat, Cornish was resurrected and it enjoyed a revival in the 20th century. Thus it lives on, precariously teetering along the precipice of linguistic extinction (there are just 300 present-day speakers and the numbers are dwindling).
Over the past century, approximately 400 languages – about one every 12 weeks – have gone extinct. Linguists project that between 50 per cent and 90 per cent of the world’s remaining 6,500 languages may vanish by the end of the 21st century. Only about 200 of the world’s languages have a written form, so in some cases when the last speaker of that tongue dies, the language is lost forever. Like the Baiji river dolphin, the Tasmanian tiger, the quagga (a type of zebra), the passenger pigeon, the western black rhino, languages are also becoming extinct. There is a clear parallel here between our shrinking biodiversity and a creeping linguistic and cultural homogenisation – a shrinking cultural diversity.
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More on Arabic language:
Ensuring Khaleeji culture survives dominates conference in Abu Dhabi
Is it better for your children to be reading in colloquial Arabic?
Emirati professor fighting to preserve endangered form of Arabic
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Arabic is far from being on the endangered-language list; it’s a civilisational tongue, one of the United Nations’ six official languages that is spoken by about a quarter of a billion people worldwide. However, in the UAE, where Arabic is a minority language, preservation and promotion of the language among the young generation has become crucial. The Arabian leopard is not yet extinct, but it has almost certainly vanished from the UAE.
Our research exploring the UAE's Twitter data confirms earlier research exploring Arabic's status in the country. Out of half a million unique UAE-based Twitter users, about 16 per cent define their language as Arabic, while 76 per cent opt for English. If we use geolocation to compare Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we can see that the rate of Arabic use is significantly lower in Dubai. Similarly, if we explore gender differences based on display names (Fatimas versus Mohammeds), we can see that the rate of Arabic use, relative to English, is significantly lower among females.
Twitter and other social media platforms are one way for us to monitor the revival or decline of Arabic in this country. What percentage of the UAE’s Twitter users will tweet in Arabic in 2030 – more than 16 per cent or less?
The direction of travel is likely to hinge on the effectiveness of the many government initiatives launched to preserve and promote the Arabic language. In 2012, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Arabic language charter, which is a definitive foundation and framework for all policies and laws related to preserving the Arabic language and promoting its use in public life. I walk past a copy of this charter every day. Written in Arabic, it stands proudly in my university canteen. I wonder how many of our students have read it. I wonder how many can't read it.
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More from opinion
Exporting Arabic
In celebration of a very rich language
Teachers cannot instil Arabic if parents do not
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In line with the charter is a directive requiring all retailers to provide invoices and receipts in both Arabic and English. This is scheduled to be implemented this year. Such initiatives have worked well in other parts of the world. Wales in the UK, for example, reasserted Welsh into public life and the results have been impressive.
Another key to preserving Arabic in the UAE is to promote its use among the expatriate population. The best way to keep something is to share it. Sharing Arabic, however, is difficult, as it requires learning how to teach and, more specifically, learning how to teach Arabic as a second language. It also requires humility, patience and a sincere desire to learn on the part of the student. If we can bring these things together, I predict that by 2030, the use of Arabic language in the UAE Twitter sphere will be way north of 16 per cent.
Dr Justin Thomas is an associate professor at Zayed University
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Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
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The five pillars of Islam
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
