APC ISO 639-3
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
شامي (Shami) Autonym
A language of Syria
- ISO 639
- apc
- Alternate Names
- Lebanese-Syrian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, North Levantine Arabic, Syro-Lebanese Arabic, il-lahje š-šāmiyye
- Autonym
- شامي (Shami)
- Population
- 13,600,000 in Syria (2019). Total users in all countries: 31,038,680.
- Location:
- Al Ladhiqiyah and Tartus governorates; widespread along Mediterranean coast.
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.
- Classification
- Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
- Dialects
- High mutual intelligibility with South Levantine Spoken Arabic [ajp] (2017 N. E. Kelly). There is an urban standard dialect based on Damascus speech. Beiruti dialect well accepted. Aleppo dialect shows Mesopotamian (North Syrian) influence. Lexical similarity (based on percentage of common words): 77%–90% with South Levantine Spoken Arabic [ajp] (Kwaik et al 2018); 37.4% with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) [arb] (Harrat et al 2015). A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].
- Language Use
- Used as L2 by Domari [rmt], Northern Kurdish [kmr], Turoyo [tru], Western Neo-Aramaic [amw].
- Language Development
- Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1973.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
- Writing
- Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab].
- Other Comments
- Druze, Christian, Jewish, Muslim.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
244,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Austria
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
17,600 in Austria (2003 UNSD).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
159,000 in Australia (2016). Total Arabic speakers in Austalia: 322,000 (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Belgium
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
32,100 in Belgium (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Location
- São Paulo.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Brazil
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
700,000 in Brazil (Guedri 2008), increasing. Ethnic population: 7,000,000 (2015).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
135,000 in Canada (2016). Total Arabic speakers in Canada: 420,000 (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Switzerland
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
32,500 in Switzerland (2012 UNSD).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Côte d’Ivoire
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
30,000 in Côte d’Ivoire (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
778,000 in Germany (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Denmark
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
48,500 in Denmark (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Dominican Republic
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
3,700 in Dominican Republic (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Egypt
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
173,000 in Egypt (2018).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Spain
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
9,630 in Spain (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Finland
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
14,000 in Finland (2018). Total Arabic speakers in Finland: 29,500 (2018 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of France
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
46,400 in France (2008 census). Ethnic population: 300,000 (2021 A. Dusséaux).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
51,700 in United Kingdom (2011). Total Arabic speakers in the United Kingdom: 159,000 (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of French Guiana
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
1,470 in French Guiana (2019). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Guinea
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
5,200 in Guinea (Leclerc 2014a).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Hungary
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
2,930 in Hungary (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Indonesia
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
283,000 in Indonesia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Israel
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
93,700 in Israel (Leclerc 2018a).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Iraq
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
21,200 in Iraq (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Jamaica
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
22,000 in Jamaica (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Major cities.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Jordan
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
1,300,000 in Jordan (2021 Reliefweb), all users. , all refugees from Syria.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kuwait
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
214,000 in Kuwait (2011 census).
- Location
- Widespread.
- Dialects
- North Lebanese Arabic, South Lebanese Arabic (Metuali, Shii), North-Central Lebanese Arabic (Mount Lebanon Arabic), South-Central Lebanese Arabic (Druze Arabic), Standard Lebanese Arabic, Beqaa Arabic, Sunni Beiruti Arabic, Saida Sunni Arabic, Iqlim-Al-Kharrub Sunni Arabic, Jdaideh Arabic.
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication)
- Other Comments
- Muslim, Christian, Druze. View other languages of Lebanon
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
6,570,000 in Lebanon (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Libya
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
72,500 in Libya (2020).
- Location
- Major cities.
- Language Status
- 7 (Shifting)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Mexico
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
Few speakers. Ethnic population: 630,000 (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
15,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Nigeria
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
62,000 in Nigeria (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Netherlands
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
3,400 in Netherlands (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Norway
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
41,600 in Norway (2021 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
2,350 in New Zealand (2013). Total Arabic speakers in New Zealand: 10,700 (2013 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Panama
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
16,400 in Panama (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Palestine
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
14,800 in Palestine (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Portugal
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
20,000 in Portugal (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity. Total Arabic speakers in Portugal: 28,500 (2021 Joshua Project).
- Location
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Lebanese comprise one of the largest expatriate communities in Qatar where they seek work opportunities and education (2016 J. Leclerc). View other languages of Qatar
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
561,000 in Qatar (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Saudi Arabia
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
500,000 in Saudi Arabia (2018). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sudan
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
96,000 in Sudan (2017).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sweden
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
88,300 in Sweden (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sierra Leone
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
46,400 in Sierra Leone (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Senegal
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
88,300 in Senegal (2017).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Muslim, Christian. View other languages of Suriname
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
1,200 in Suriname (2018).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of El Salvador
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
1,300 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Togo
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
8,200 in Togo (2019).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Tunisia
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
23,000 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc).
- Location
- Adana, Hatay, and Mersin provinces.
- Dialects
- Çukurova (Cilician Arabic, Çukurovan Arabic). Estimated 55,000 Alevi Çukurovan Arabic speakers and 247,000–329,000 ethnic Arab Alevis in Mersin and Adana provinces. Çukurovan Arabic used by people over age 35–40 (Procházka-Eisl and Procházka 2018).
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Other Comments
- Muslim. View other languages of Turkey
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
4,250,000 in Turkey (2021). , including 3,000,000 refugees from Syria (World Bank, UNHCR, Anadolu Agency).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Trinidad and Tobago
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
2,600 in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
386,000 in United States (2015). Total Arabic speakers in the United States: 924,000 (2015 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Venezuela
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
127,000 in Venezuela (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Yemen
Language Name
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
User Population
21,500 in Yemen (2018).
Map
Location: Al Ladhiqiyah and Tartus governorates; widespread along Mediterranean coast.
Size and Vitality
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