What is the difference between Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic ?

Perhaps it is funny to know that in Arabic there is no difference between classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). They are both called simply Fusha which is kinda mean eloquent. Arabs would answer that there is no difference.

However, I think I understand why this classification is in the Western Orientalist Studies.

1- Vocabulary

Let us return to a famous epic in the fourth century, by Imru’ al-Qays, where he says in one of his poetic verses:

مِكرٍّ مِفَرٍّ مُقبِلٍ مُدْبِرٍ معًا ** كجُلمودِ صخرٍ حطّه السيلُ

He says his horse is fast running, very stubborn and quickly take actions at the same time, and he likens it to a "Jalmoud" thrown by a flash flood from a high place to the bottom.

The word "jalmoud" is unknown today to the Arabs, and when reading this poetic verse, one will look it up in dictionaries, and find it means a giant of stone. Some words maybe do not link to our daily life now so they are not used and hence forgotten.

2- Expressions

Some old/classic expressions, seem strange to use in our modern life. "Thakalatk Ommok" a very famous insult in the past. It means "Hope your mother lose you" or "Your mother's bereavement". Nobody will use this now.

3- Globalization/Translation

Some of the phrases and sentences that are used in Arabic today, are in fact foriegn to Arabic. Phrases like: "I work as a doctor" will translate directly word by word to Arabic and it will be understanable.

However, this is a mistake. The "as a" expression is not valid to use, it should be replaced by making the word "doctor" as an object/predicate which is done by adding the sound "n" in the last. It should be something like this "I work doctran". This applies to many expressions that Arabic do it differently than English, including assistive acts. This effect I believe is due to translation and globalization. The linear relation between languages is hard. Each language does its work differently but globalization is forcing us to move into a specific direction.

4- Derivation

Arabic is based on derivations, meaning that every word must refer to a root. Notice the root (ktb): Write (Katab), library (Maktabah), Book (Kitab), etc. Each word carrying the meaning of writing, will include letters (ktb) in a certain morphological form.

In Arabic grammar, there are so-called "Al-Moshtaqqat". Including names of machines and names of places. These words are derived from a specific grammatical, morphological form.

The word "Matar" is a name of a place. It means the place where it flies. Today it means "the airport". But if you go to medieval or ancient times, and tell them "Matar", the first thing that will come to their mind is perhaps a bird's nest or wherever the birds fly. The same goes for, say, Sayyarah (the car), which means a machine that provide walking. Perhaps the carriage (Al-Arabah) would have crossed their minds back then with this word. In fact, unlike all Arabic dialects, in the Egyptian dialect, the word car is derived from the carriage as (Al-Arabiyyah), not from walking (Sayyarah).

So, there you have the difference between classical Arabic and Modern-Standard Arabic Perhaps not a huge difference, but it is an important one to fit in with the requirements of the modern era.