Vernacularization in the Ottoman Empire: Is Arabic the Exception that Proves the Rule?

We can fruitfully explore the topic of Arabic diglossia—and of the development of modern Arabic more generally—laterally, and in a comparative and diachronic manner. When studied in their broader Ottoman and post-Ottoman settings, the diglossic constellations of Arabic and Greek turn out to be but two very distinct outcomes of a rather broader process of vernacularisation, that is, a shift from written classical to locally spoken language varieties, in which spoken languages or language varieties start being used for new literate uses, such as, most importantly, official courtly communication, high literature, and learning. Here, I briefly sketch this wider pattern of development, which occurred across virtually the entire the Ottoman Empire, and the consequences of which are still visible in its various successor states.