differences - "Arab" or "Arabic" or "Arabian"?


Are these adjectives interchangeable?


I always hear: 'An Arab man.' but never 'An Arabic man.' and I always hear 'Arabic coffee' but never hear 'Arab coffee.'



Answer



As adjectives, the New Oxford American Dictionary defines Arabic a related to the language or the literature, while Arab is the more generic term (“of or relating to Arabia and the people of Arabia”) and Arabian is a historical variant of Arab.


Some dictionaries (including WordNet) report a wider meaning of Arabic as being roughly synonymous with Arab and Arabian. In some established expressions, like “arabic coffee”, arabic is favoured. Note, however, that usage favours “arab cuisine”, for example!


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