“Towards an Arabic Cosmopolis: Culture and Power in Early Islam,” in A. Borrut, M. Ceballos, and A. Vacca (eds.), Navigating Language in the Early Islamic World: Multilingualism and Language Change in the First Centuries of Islam (Turnhout: Brepols, 2024), 167-91. By Antoine Borrut

https://www.academia.edu/114602582/_Towards_an_Arabic_Cosmopolis_Culture_and_Power_in_Early_Islam_in_A_Borrut_M_Ceballos_and_A_Vacca_eds_Navigating_Language_in_the_Early_Islamic_World_Multilingualism_and_Language_Change_in_the_First_Centuries_of_Islam_Turnhout_Brepols_2024_167_91?nav_from=94133b2a-cabe-4abf-bd6d-929045be9ba6 This chapter explores the dynamics of Arabic language spread and its implications for culture and power in the early Islamic Empire. It critiques two dominant narratives regarding Arabicization—the Marwanid caliphs’ systematic policies versus the earlier Umayyad context—arguing they fail to comprehensively explain the language’s success beyond its religious significance. By examining social identity, relations of power, and contextual factors, the chapter proposes a nuanced understanding of how Arabic emerged as a prestige language across diverse populations from Central Asia to Iberia. ...