د. أحمد إبراهيم حران أستاذ مساعد (المجلس الإفريقي الملغاشي للتعليم العالي) أستاذ النحو والصرف بقسم اللغة العربية وآدابها / جامعة أدم بركة بأبشة ـ تشاد
In light of the linguistic and cultural developments taking place in Chad and the ongoing competition between Arabic and French today, this study examines the status of the Arabic language in Chad during the period of French colonial rule. It highlights the transformations that affected Arabic as a result of colonial language policies. The study aims to identify the challenges faced by the Arabic language, particularly its marginalization and weakening in official and educational domains.
The research also discusses the status of Arabic before colonialism, during the era of the Islamic kingdoms of Chad, and demonstrates that its position in the three kingdoms was strong and well established. The study adopts both the historical and descriptive-analytical approaches.
The findings reveal that French colonialism in Chad was not merely a form of political domination; rather, it implemented a linguistic and cultural project aimed at reshaping Chadian identity. Despite colonial pressures, however, the Arabic language maintained its presence, and colonial efforts to suppress it were not entirely successful. Today, the majority of the Chadian population speaks Chadian Arabic as a lingua franca.
Keywords: Arabic language, Chad, French colonialism, language status, challenges
