LB
Lebanese Republic
Lebanon
Summary
Official Name
Lebanese Republic
International Conventions
CDE (1964), CSICH (2007), ICCPR (1972), UNDRIP (2007)
Population
6,825,000
Principal Languages
French, North Levantine Spoken Arabic, Standard Arabic
Literacy Rate
95% (2018 UNESCO)
General References
Fischer and Jastrow 1980, Fleisch 1974, Sebeok 1963
Language Counts
The number of established languages listed for Lebanon is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 6 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 4 are institutional, 2 are developing, and 1 is in trouble. Also listed are 10 unestablished languages.
Languages
- Arabic, Egyptian Spoken arz
- Users: 118,000 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
- Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken acm
- Users: 23,700 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
- Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc
- Widespread. Users: 6,570,000 in Lebanon (2020). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Alternate Names: Lebanese-Syrian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Syro-Lebanese Arabic Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
- Arabic, Standard arb
- Widespread. Users: 5,220,000 in Lebanon (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1943, Constitution, Article 11). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
- Armenian, Western hyw
- Beqaa province: Zahle district, Anjar town; Mont-Liban province: El Metn district, Beirut suburbs Bourj Hammoud and Mezher; other scattered communities; centuries-old established presence, Beirut and Tripoli cities. Users: 336,000 in Lebanon (2020). Status: 5* (Dispersed). De facto language of national identity. Classification: Indo-European, Armenian
- Assyrian Neo-Aramaic aii
- Beyrouth. Users: 2,330 in Lebanon (2020). Ethnic population: 40,000. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern
- Chaldean Neo-Aramaic cld
- Beyrouth. Users: 35,500 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern
- Domari rmt
- Beqaa valley. Users: A few scattered and isolated speaker populations (Herin 2016). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Dom, Qurbāti Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Dom
- English eng
- Scattered. Users: 2,740,100 in Lebanon, all users. L1 users: 10,100 in Lebanon (2020). L2 users: 2,730,000 (Ramaswami et al 2012). Status: 3 (Wider communication). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
- French fra
- Scattered. Users: 2,311,800 in Lebanon, all users. L1 users: 31,800 in Lebanon (2020). L2 users: 2,280,000 (Beck et al 2018). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Alternate Names: Français Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
- Greek ell
- Users: 6,520 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic
- Italian ita
- Users: 6,520 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian
- Kurdish, Northern kmr
- Beqaa province: Bekah Valley; Beyrouth, Liban-Nord (Tripoli), and Liban-Sud (Sidon) provinces: scattered urban areas. Users: 337,000 in Lebanon (2020). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish
- Portuguese por
- Users: 2,960 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
- Spanish spa
- Users: 22,300 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
- Turkish tur
- Users: 5,910 in Lebanon (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish
- Turoyo tru
- Scattered. Users: 29,300 in Lebanon (2015). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern
Languages by Status
Arabic, Standard
[arb] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1943, Constitution, Article 11). 5,220,000 in Lebanon (2015 SIL), all users.
Armenian, Western
[hyw] 5* (Dispersed). De facto language of national identity. 336,000 in Lebanon (2020).
Kurdish, Northern
[kmr] 5* (Dispersed). 337,000 in Lebanon (2020).
Domari
[rmt] 6b* (Threatened). A few scattered and isolated speaker populations (Herin 2016).
Language Vitality Profile

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Language Status Profile

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