Are modern Sicilians Descendants of Arabs?

[tahir0010]

I was reading in the Sicilian times in English of course and the author said, "They ruled Sicily for two centuries and a few decades but their influence was nothing short of monumental. Under their administration, the island's population doubled as dozens of towns were founded and cities repopulated. The Arabs changed Sicilian agriculture and cuisine. Their scientific and engineering achievements were remarkable. More significantly, they changed society itself. To this day, many Sicilian social attitudes reflect the profound influence - often in subtle ways - of the Arabs who ruled a thousand years ago but who (with the Greeks and others) are the ancestors of today's Sicilians." So if the population doubled and many cities were founded by the Arabs wouldn't that mean there were now more Arabs there then Sicilians? So do you think Sicilians are actually descendants of the Arabs?

[wvwvw]

That's all a OWD Turd can contribute to a European community forum.

[tahir0010]

That's all a OWD Turd can contribute to a European community forum.

Yes that is all I contribute unfortunately .

[SardiniaAtlantis]

I was reading in the Sicilian times in English of course and the author said, "They ruled Sicily for two centuries and a few decades but their influence was nothing short of monumental. Under their administration, the island's population doubled as dozens of towns were founded and cities repopulated. The Arabs changed Sicilian agriculture and cuisine. Their scientific and engineering achievements were remarkable. More significantly, they changed society itself. To this day, many Sicilian social attitudes reflect the profound influence - often in subtle ways - of the Arabs who ruled a thousand years ago but who (with the Greeks and others) are the ancestors of today's Sicilians." So if the population doubled and many cities were founded by the Arabs wouldn't that mean there were now more Arabs there then Sicilians? So do you think Sicilians are actually descendants of the Arabs?

Like the case with Spain typically the majority of the “Arabs” were arabized natives or Must’arabs who took on Arabic language but genetically did not much change this isn’t only the case for Sicily and Spain, but the Arabic world itself is primarily made up of Arabized people whose ancestors were not originally Arabs, not wholly anyway some may have been and of course some of the roots of modern Arabs go back to the Arabian Peninsula depending on the area, but not entirely unless we are talking about Khaliji people of course.

[Sikeliot]

There was some genetic influence from Arabia and North Africa but most of the "Arab" population in Sicily were Arabized peoples who would have been a mixture of Italic, Greek, and Levantine. The same way North Africans are Arabized Berbers, Levantines are Arabized Canaanites, and so on.

[Hamlet]

I was reading in the Sicilian times in English of course and the author said, "They ruled Sicily for two centuries and a few decades but their influence was nothing short of monumental. Under their administration, the island's population doubled as dozens of towns were founded and cities repopulated. The Arabs changed Sicilian agriculture and cuisine. Their scientific and engineering achievements were remarkable. More significantly, they changed society itself. To this day, many Sicilian social attitudes reflect the profound influence - often in subtle ways - of the Arabs who ruled a thousand years ago but who (with the Greeks and others) are the ancestors of today's Sicilians." So if the population doubled and many cities were founded by the Arabs wouldn't that mean there were now more Arabs there then Sicilians? So do you think Sicilians are actually descendants of the Arabs?

You're clearly new here - no, they are not. Arab influence though, sure.

[tahir0010]

Like the case with Spain typically the majority of the “Arabs” were arabized natives or Must’arabs who took on Arabic language but genetically did not much change this isn’t only the case for Sicily and Spain, but the Arabic world itself is primarily made up of Arabized people whose ancestors were not originally Arabs, not wholly anyway some may have been and of course some of the roots of modern Arabs go back to the Arabian Peninsula depending on the area, but not entirely unless we are talking about Khaliji people of course.

So most sicilians would not have arab ancestry? That is interesting but it was ruled by an Arab dynasty for almost 2 centures I would think that the modern sicilian would at least have 5/10% middle eastern roots?

[Hamlet]

So most sicilians would not have arab ancestry? That is interesting but it was ruled by an Arab dynasty for almost 2 centures I would think that the modern sicilian would at least have 5/10% middle eastern roots?

They have wayyy more than 5/10% Middle Eastern roots lol, just not from Arabic influence - I imagine that numbers easily under 5%

[SardiniaAtlantis]

So most sicilians would not have arab ancestry? That is interesting but it was ruled by an Arab dynasty for almost 2 centures I would think that the modern sicilian would at least have 5/10% middle eastern roots?

Again most of the “Arabs” were Must’arabs a lot of them repopulated Malta which explains why Maltese speak Siculo-Arabic but don’t show Arabic markers in DNA on the whole.

[tahir0010]

They have wayyy more than 5/10% Middle Eastern roots lol, just not from Arabic influence - I imagine that numbers easily under 5%

They are just an interesting people I met someone from there a couple of days ago and I mean I thought he was arab. As the other user said I guess they are just like Spain when it was ruled by the Moroccans.