About Jim Expertise I can answer questions about Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, colloquial Arabic, and the influence of Arabic on the arts and sciences in the Arabic and Western worlds
Experience I am a certified foreign area expert trained in Arabic and Arabic culture in the U.S. military with years of experience studying, traveling and working in the Arabic Middle East.
Question What are the standard Arabic salutations and what is the social philosophy of them?
Answer The first person to speek upon greeting would say, "Asalaamu alaykum". This means peace be upon you. The response is, "wa alaykumu asalaam". This means and upon you, peace. Upon departure, both parties say, "maa asalaama", which means literally "with peace". It means either "I leave you in peace" or "Go with peace", depending on the situation. These greetings reflect the importance of signalling one's peaceful intent upon meeting and departing safely from a meeting, and reflect the harsh, competitive desert nomadic life that forms the basis of Arabic culture.
