Egypt is a North African country that has a divergent cultural and communication system. This has grown with time and changed progressively to cater for the changing environment. The country’s multifaceted population has brought with it new communication and cultural attributes that Egyptians have embraced.
Communication
The main language spoken in Egypt is Arabic. Egyptian Arabic is one of the Semitic groups of the afro-Asian category of languages. The Arab language came to Egypt through the Muslim conquest. However it was influenced by the pre Islamic, French English and Turkish languages. It has been widely adopted in the Arab world due to the influence of the Egyptian media and the popularity of Egypt in the Arab world. There are various Egyptian dialects. (Abasa 2009:1) classified the Arabic language to classical, Eastern, Western and Maltese.
The Egyptian version is part of the Eastern Arabic sub class. In Egypt the local dialects spoken varies from place to place. They include: Delta Arabic, Lower Egypt Arabic, Middle Egypt Arabic, Cairene Arabic, and Upper Egypt Arabic among others. (Abasa 2009:1).
Cairene Arabic is the most popular of them all. It is used in the media and political scenes. Broadcasting, production of movies and films together with presidential speech is given in the cairene dialect. It is well understood in Cairo and its environs. This is also the popular dialects across the borders of Egypt since the countries entertainment uses it. The dialects exist side by side but there is a clear indication that the standard Arabic competes with all the other vernacular forms.
In their daily application most of the Egyptians tend to blend the linguistic forms of the illiterate and un- urbanized with the highly classical and formalized colloquial forms of the educated people. This is spoken to suit the occasion so that one does not alienate himself from the rest of the population (Parkinson 1994:3).The classical Arabic however plays a vital role in the daily life of the Egyptians.
It is the most widely used in the recitation of the Koran which is the holy book of the Muslims who are the majority. Although the Egyptian language has had foreign influence in the past, scholars have presently developed mechanisms to ensure that the classical Arabic is devoid of western languages infiltration.
The citizens have developed a personal pride in their language and are always willing to extend assistance to the foreigners who make an effort to learn their language. The rural fork consisting of peasants In the North, Upper Egypt and the inhabitants of the oases in the Western desert have their own dialects that they prefer to use. These dialects differ from one region to another but the transition from one dialect to another is gradual as one transcends the territorial boundaries.
However every region has its own distinctive characteristic. For instance the varieties of those closer to the Nile valley have greater influence from the dialects of the North – African type. (Teeter 1999:89) argued that there are other smaller groups that have different dialects. Examples of such groups include those found on the eastern part of the desert that speaks a Sudanese type of dialect. This has been thought to be the influence from their original Cushitic language.
The separation of these dialects is believed to have sprung due to several factors.(Winkler 1936:455) concluded that dialect boundaries were as a result of material and spiritual cultures. Areas prone to trading activities such as the delta region had more language influence in comparison to regions that strictly depended on peasantry. Religious activities played an integral part in influencing the dialects. Areas on the Upper Egypt had greater influence from the Muslim world which differentiated them from the Coptic population that preserved their original colloquial standard.
However it is important to note that the most important element that led to the development of the different dialects was the settlement of the Bedouins after the Arab conquest of Egypt. This resulted in language differentiation based on features such as phonology which refers to the vowels, secondary emphasis, pausal forms and stress patterns. There were other differences that manifested in the morphological features which are the verbs and demonstrative words. Other differences are in the lexical features and the syntactical features. Communication in Egypt therefore has taken a steady step in ensuring that there is a common medium for all the citizens to use.
The popularity associated with cairene Arabic dialect means that it is highly preferred at the national level. This view does not belittle other dialects but only emphasizes a medium that can be attached to the Egyptian nation within and outside its territories. Foreigners such as tourists wishing to interact with Egyptians can easily do so by learning the modern classical Arabic language. It cuts across the fabric of the Egyptian population.
The Egyptian culture
The culture is intertwined with the language spoken by any given community. However it comprises other aspects such as values, norms, religion, eating habits and the general way of life. Egyptian culture has taken various forms and has gradually evolved with time. Presently Egypt is highly associated with the Islamic culture. However the country’s cultural roots can be traced from the early beginnings of Egyptian civilization. It began with the unification of the lower and upper regions of the Nile delta regions under one king referred to as pharaoh. This was associated with the beginning of irrigation of farms that increased crop production.
These developments led to the development of civilized society. Other forms of inventions occurred during this period. They included writing, collective construction i.e. pyramids and expansion in militarism. The administration was controlled by the elites, religious leaders and administrators under pharaoh who enhanced cooperation and unity of the society through strong religious beliefs and practices.
This ancient cultural attributes were later on infiltrated by the Roman conquest in 30 B.C and later on the Muslim invasion that swept across the northern Africa. Throughout the ancient Cultural Revolution, Egyptian society tied it socialization to the environment. (Teeter1999:17) argued that the river and the ecosystem of the Nile valley played a bigger part in defining Egyptian culture. Daily life was intertwined with the environment to the extent that culture flourished as the ecological factors dictated.
Presently the largest population of Egypt consists of Muslim culture. All aspects of their life is guided by the Islamic laws popularly known as the Sharia as outlined in the Koran. Language is one of the key components of Egyptian community. Since the Arab invasion in 639 A.D the Coptic language that had been inherited from ancient Egypt was replaced with Arabic one. The Coptic language has been relegated to the Coptic Orthodox Church only. The entire Christian and Muslim population speaks Arabic. However the Arabic written form has adopted modern style in the word sequence and phrasing. This has been largely influenced by the English and French.
Majority of the Egyptians, practice Islam. The religion controls their personal, political, social, economic and cultural spheres of lives. The Koran and the proclamation of prophet known as Sunnah provide guidance in the religion. The Egyptians pray five times a day. During the dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening. Friday is regarded with holiness thus many companies remain closed for a weekend comprising of Thursday and Friday.
Fasting takes place during the holy month of Ramadan. During this period, there is no eating or even drinking. However in the present generation the Egyptian expatriates are exempted from fasting but they must not take their meals in public. In the evenings, all families gather to break the fast. Egyptian society regards the family as the most important unit.
The family membership consists of immediate kins and the extended family. Every individual subscribes to family ties at every decision. Interpersonal relationships are guided by mutual respect and honor especially to the elderly and those in the authority. One is always trusted to keep his word in fulfillment of any obligation.
Egyptian society is stratified into classes depending on family background. These consist of upper, middle and lower.Movement from one class to another is highly checked. It is these classes that determine ones advancement in any sphere of life. Egypt has an extensive customary base. Greetings for instance are entirely based on class and religion. Hand shakes for instance are the most common form greeting among members of the same sex.
Public appearance is a key element when deciding on the mode of dressing. It requires that one dresses properly with conservatism. Men for instance are required to wear dark colored with light weight clothes. They are discouraged from putting on conspicuous jewellery especially around the neck and face. Women on the other hand are required to put on dresses that cover most parts of the body except in very special circumstances such as sports.
Just as people remove shoes when entering the mosque during worship, the same applies to one when invited to a friends place. Business interaction is always done between individuals who are acquainted to each other. This means that Egyptians believe in well cultivated and networked relationships which will help to build trust and all the undertakings that one would like to be involved in partnership with another. In general, the Egyptian society is highly bureaucratic and it takes a lot of time to accomplish a given task in public forums and business places.
The Egyptian community is not entirely Muslim.There are other groups such as the Jewish community and the Egyptian Christians. Such groups are however fragmented in nature. (Petry and Daly1998:177) noted that the most important division in the Christian community occurred when there was a dispute whether Christ had both divine and human nature. This led to a division among the two groups of those who believed in only the divinity of Christ while others professed both attributes. The later group turned out to be the majority. However the minority of the Christian groups were accorded certain privileges.
The Christians lead their quite lives in the guidance of mainly the Coptic Church. In their daily worship they have embraced the use of Arab language just as in their daily activities. In spite of the divergence of Christian beliefs, they have shared similar characteristics.They live together in urban settings and they have lived to preserve their spiritual faith. In conclusion Egyptian society exists as a compact unit bound by societal beliefs.
Despite the differences in certain cultural aspects, the members of this society have not allowed themselves to be divided along such trivial lines. One binding factor for the whole of the Egyptian nation is the language they all speak which is Arabic. This forms a typical example of how a society that may be divided in many social aspects such as ethnicity and religion can harmoniously coexist and become a single unit bound by their desire to achieve societal aspirations.
References
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Manfred Woidich, Rural Dialect of Egyptian Arabic: An overview, 1996, p 325-54. Web.
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Petry C.F., and Daly M.W., The Cambridge History of Egypt, U.K., Cambridge University Press, 1998.
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