1. Mutual Intelligibility:
* Arabic Dialects: While many Arabic dialects are mutually intelligible to some degree, there are also significant variations in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. This makes communication between speakers of certain dialects challenging.
* Romance Languages: Catalan, Castilian, and Galician are generally considered mutually intelligible to a greater extent than most Arabic dialects. Speakers from different regions can often understand each other with some effort.
2. Standardization:
* Arabic: Standard Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) is a codified, literary language used in formal settings, education, and media. It serves as a unifying force, but the spoken dialects remain dominant in everyday life.
* Romance Languages: Catalan, Castilian, and Galician have all undergone standardization processes, with established grammars, dictionaries, and literary traditions. They are recognized as official languages in their respective regions.
3. Historical Development:
* Arabic: Arabic dialects diverged significantly after the spread of the Islamic conquest in the 7th century. Geographic isolation and cultural influences led to distinct regional variations.
* Romance Languages: Romance languages emerged from Vulgar Latin, the language of the Roman Empire, through a process of gradual evolution and regional differentiation.
4. Political and Cultural Factors:
* Arabic: The Arab world has historically been fragmented into numerous independent states. The absence of a single political authority has contributed to the lack of a unified linguistic standard for spoken Arabic.
* Romance Languages: The historical development of Spain and Portugal, with their strong regional identities, led to the recognition of Catalan, Castilian, and Galician as distinct languages.
5. Linguistic Prestige and Power:
* Arabic: Standard Arabic, being the language of religion and literature, holds a higher prestige compared to the spoken dialects.
* Romance Languages: The historical and cultural significance of Catalan, Castilian, and Galician, coupled with their political recognition, has granted them linguistic prestige.
Conclusion:
The classification of Arabic dialects as dialects and Romance languages as languages reflects a complex interplay of historical, linguistic, political, and cultural factors. While mutual intelligibility and standardization play a role, ultimately, these classifications are influenced by the specific historical and social contexts surrounding each language group.