Syria language
The Syrian Arab Republic is a country in the Middle East, belonging to Asia, whose capital is Damascus. It has a population of 17 million people, which places it 54th in the world ranking. Regarding its extension, its position is 87th, with 185,180 km 2. Its human development index is low (ranked 149th) and its official currency is the Syrian pound. It is currently in a civil war. And what language is spoken in Syria?
What language do they speak in Syria?
Syria has only one official language, Arabic.
Various dialects of this language are used throughout the country, with special mention being Levantine Arabic in the west and Mesopotamian Arabic in the northeast. Apart from Arabic, the following languages are the most widely spoken in the country, ordered by the largest number of speakers: Kurdish, Turkish, Neo-Aramaic (four dialects), Circassian, Chechen, Armenian and Greek.
In the northeastern part of the country dominates the Kurdish, historical site of the homonymous people. In Aleppo, the most populous city in Syria, there is an Armenian-speaking minority. There are also minority groups speaking Turkmen (as a legacy of the Ottoman Empire) and Azeri in Homs and Hama.
English and French are widely spoken as a second language, with English being the most widely used. Its use is extensive both in the cultural field and in commerce, therefore spoken in urban centers and among the educated population.
The arabic language
Arabic (العربية) is spoken by 88% of the population. Modern Standard Arabic is the language of education and writing. At home, most Syrians speak various dialects of Levantine Arabic. The dialects of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Tartus are more similar to each other than compared to that of the northern region of Aleppo.
Syrian Arabic, due to long periods of multiculturalism and imperialism, has a wide variety of loanwords from Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Syriac, French, English and Persian.
The aramaic language
Aramaic (������������������) was the lingua franca of the region before the arrival of Arabic, and is still spoken among Assyrians, and Classical Syriac is still used as the liturgical language in various denominations of Syriac Christianity. It is one of the oldest languages in the world, since it is at least 3,100 years old. It is the original language of some books of the Bible.
Today it is still spoken in more than 30 villages and, notably, Western Neo-Aramaic is still spoken in the city of Malula, 56 km northeast of Damascus, as well as in its two neighboring villages.
Share which languages are spoken in Syria.