This study deals with an unwritten dialect of Arabic which is spoken in parts of northern and central Chad (French Tchad) and which has received serious attention only in the last three decades. The description and materials used is of potential interest to nonspecialists as well as to students of Arabic linguistics and dialectology. A variety of what may be labeled Sudanic Arabic, the Chadian dialect manifests certain linguistic features which pose a challenge to its classification in terms of the traditional Eastern/Western or nomadic/sedentary dichotomies.

Included in this study are brief phonological, morphological and syntactic outlines of the dialect followed by sample texts in phonemic transcription. It is hoped that enough information is given to be of help to those who do not know Arabic as well as to those who are familiar with other varieties of Arabic. A number of characteristic features of Chadian Arabic, especially in the area of phonology, are contrasted with equivalent structures in Modern Standard Arabic since the latter is one variety of Arabic which is more likely to be familiar to most readers.

The materials in this sketch is based mainly on data collected in the late sixties from a native speaker of Chadian Arabic to be used in the preparation of teaching material for the Peace Corps. Other materials collected by other researchers and published since are also taken into consideration.

2nd printing 2007.