Why Arabic Is Terrific (2011)

As mentioned in passing, it is also an entry to the Semitic languages, which are one of the great language families in historical and literary terms. A lot of the features listed are shared with its most distant cousin Akkadian, as spoken some four thousand years ago in Mesopotamia. Like the noun root system: Akkadian makarum "to flow (a river, irrigation, etc.)", but the derived noun is makkurum "commerce, business dealings". Arabic also has the mkr root, verb makara, noun makrum - meaning more like scheme or plot. (Fascinating little shift of meaning.)