The Renaissance Humanists and the Knowledge of Arabic

Abstract

The philological study of Arabic by Europeans was long delayed and slow in development, considering the number, strength, and importance of the Moslem peoples and the value of their cultural contributions to western civilization. The Moslem conquest of Spain in the early part of the eighth century did stimulate an early desire among the Christians of the Iberian peninsula to learn the language of the conquerors. In fact, the ardor of the interest among the Spanish Christians brought forth the complaint of Alvarus of Córdoba (IX century) that the Christian youths were abandoning the study of Latin for that of Arabic. Later the language of Islam, a religion branded a Christian heresy by the medieval church, fell into discredit, though interest was revived in the eleventh and twelfth centuries with the transmission to Europe of Arabic science and philosophy in Latin translation. Toledo, captured by Spanish Christians in 1085, was the outstanding center for the translators, most of whom were native Jews who had been Moslem subjects.

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