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What will you conclude from what they did contribute and what will you conclude from what they did not contribute?

What will I conclude?

Well, if I find some evidence it will increase my respect for them. If I do not, I may conclude that it is disinformation passed along intentionally or through ignorance. If it is disinformation then anyone who uses it is substantially discredited in all of their assertions the way I view things.

Okay?

ML/NJ

There is linguistic evidence that scientific and mathematical concepts unknown to Europeans found their way into Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, and English through Arabic-speaking people. While the Christians and Moslems were at war in Spain (for about 800 years starting in the 8th century AD) there was much cultural assimilation and new words came into the language to fill the cultural vacuum. More than 4000 modern Spanish words have Arabic roots, and almost all of these deal with technology (medicine, astronomy, algebra, and other sciences.) Most English words starting with "al" are of Arabic origin, too. Examples include alchemy, alcohol, algebra, algorithm, alkali, and almanac, to name a few. Regardless of whether one likes or dislikes the influence, pretending that it doesn't exist is counterproductive at best, or as the saying goes, it is better to walk forward through history with at least one eye open *smile*