The Mashriq or Mashreq (Arabic: مشرق) is the region of Arabic-speaking countries to the east of Egypt. It is derived from the Arabic root sh-r-q (شرق) relating to the east or the sunrise, and essentially means "east". It is therefore the corresponding term of maghrib (مغرب), meaning "west", which refers to the Arab countries in North Africa. Egypt occupies an ambiguous position: while culturally and linguistically closer to the Mashriq, it is often seen as being part of neither. The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing the Arabic language. ... Jump to: navigation, search Arabic (Arabic: العربية; transliterated: al-carabiyyah, less formally, عربي transliterated: carabÄ«) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Jump to: navigation, search Maghrib is an Arabic term for of the setting (sun); from the root ghuroob (to set; to be hidden). It is also used in a manner similar to the metaphorical use of to be eclipsed, which is used in the English language. ...

These geographical terms date from the early Islamic conquests in North Africa.