#formal arabic
Up until the late 19th century, departing from the conventional path of writing in formal Arabic as a poet or writer carried a social stigma within mainstream literary circles. Poetry written in colloquial Egyptian Arabic was deemed a lesser form of art, primarily intended for the uneducated masses. The term Shi'r, designating poetry, was exclusively reserved for verse written in formal Fuṣḥā, revered as the epitome of eloquence. During the 1960s, a transformative movement emerged in the form of colloquial…
