AMMAN: A Jordanian history enthusiast, is attempting to revive the Arabic dialect of the Nabataeans. This ancient Arab tribe who left behind the legacy of the historical site at Petra, which was chosen as one of the seven new wonders of the world in a vote of 100 million people in 2007.
Bakr Raggad, a graduate of the University of Jordan, told the Jordan News Agency that he began his attempt to learn the nearly extinct Nabataean dialect three years ago.
He was able to extract 2,500 words from a dialect that he said largely has been lost to the pages of academia, as he concentrated on researching unexplored eras of Jordan’s history.
“There is no clear dictionary or grammar for this dialect,” said Raggad. “I have taken it upon myself to revive it.”
After delving into the intricacies of the Nabataean dialect, he said he is able to hold a conversation using it and even create simple forms of poetry and literature. On Saturday, he posted a 50-second video on Facebook in which he speaks in the dialect.
The Nabataeans, from the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, emerged during the 6th century B.C. Initially they were nomads but by the second century B.C. had evolved into an organized society.
