I know that the first mention of the word arab was in the ninth century BCE by the Assyrians who fought them but they say arab back then "arab" just meant nomad. What I want to know is where did the specific arab identity that eventually created one of the largest empires in history originate from. I know it is in Arabia but does anyone know where in arabia? Arabs say it is yemen but it could be just a myth. Not sure if the Himyarites were arabs or not. Nor am I sure if the Nabataens where arabs or not. I mean they didn't speak arabic did they? I know the Ghassanids did. So maybe the answer is to the north. I heard the arabic language originate from the An Nafud desert but I am not sure. Or could it simply be Hejaz were Islam came from? Or could they have occupied more then one area?