The predominant languages of the Middle East are Arabic, Farsi and Turkish, although there are many more unique
languages and dialects spoken in the region. In many areas in the Middle East, the local dialect is mixed with
one or more foreign languages. For example in Lebanon, French and English are often mixed with the local Arabic
dialect. Below is a general list of the different regions of the Middle East and the various languages and
dialects spoken.
The Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Israel):
Arabic, Aramaic, Syriac, Hebrew, French and English are all spoken in this Mediterranean region of the Middle
East. The general Arabic dialect is often referred to as Levantine Arabic, although the dialects from country
to country still vary. Levantine Arabic has many words that are derived from Aramaic and Syriac, the ancient
languages of this region. Several Christian churches in the area still use Aramaic or Syriac for their
liturgies. Hebrew is the official language of Israel, although the large number of European immigrants means
that several European languages are widely spoken. The significant Armenian population of the region have
their own language of indo-European origin, and Kurdish is spoken by some minorities in Syria.
French and English are the most widely spoken foreign languages throughout this area due to its colonial
history.
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. The most notable difference between gulf dialects and Fusha is the exchange
of a ch sound where a k sound would normally be used. In Yemen, there are also some differences in syntax, as well
as the existence of the Mahri and Suqutri dialects that are actually derivatives of the ancient Sabaean language.
Egypt:
The "Masri" dialect is spoken by millions of people in Egypt and is understood throughout the Arab world
thanks largely to the predominance of the Egyptian film industry and media. The dialect borrows many words
from Western languages including French, Greek and Turkish. The most tell-tale sign of Egyptian Arabic is the
use of a hard g sound for the pronunciation of the Arabic letter ?
The Maghreb (Libya, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria):
The Arabic-speaking countries of Northern Africa have a dialect often referred to as "Derija," which has been
heavily influenced by French and Spanish, as well as the native Berber populations.
Turkey:
The official and most-widely spoken language of Turkey is Turkish. The country also has a large Kurdish
population who speak Kurdish, an Indo-Iranian language. Some minority populations also speak dialects of
Arabic and Circassian.
Iran:
Farsi or Persian is the official language of Iran, which bears little resemblance to Arabic as a spoken
language, although the written alphabets are similar. Other languages spoken in Iran include Kurdish, Turkmen,
Pashto, Georgian, Armenian and Arabic.
Afghanistan:
Dari and Pashto are the two most predominant languages in Afghanistan, which are both from the Iranian
language family. Some minorities speak Turkic languages such as Uzbek or Turkmen.
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