Languages of the Arab World
The Levant
Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan
Arabic, Aramaic, Syriac, are all spoken in this Mediterranean region, as well as French and English which are widely spoken due to their colonial history in the area. Levantine Arabic, has many words derived from the Aramaic and Syriac, the ancient languages of this region, which are still often used in the liturgies of several Christian churches. The significant Armenian populations of the region have their own language of indo-European origin, and Kurdish is spoken by some minorities in Syria.
The Gulf States
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, and Kuwait
The native Arabic dialects of this area are the closest to Modern Standard Arabic. (Fusha), although they occasionally have a Persian influence. Often heard are dialects of the Mahri and Suqutri, which are derivatives of the ancient Sabaean language.
Egypt
The “Masri” dialect is spoken by millions of people in Egypt and understood throughout the Arab world due largely to the Egyptian film industry and media. The dialect borrows from many words including French, Greek, and Turkish.
The Maghreb
Libya, Tunisa, Morocco, and Algeria
The Arabic-speaking countries of Northern Africa have a dialect often referred to as
“Derija”, which been heavily influenced by French and Spanish, as well as the native Berber populations.
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