ARABIC, SOUTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN: a language of Jordan

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: AJP

ISO 639-2: sem

Population	3,500,000 in Jordan (1996). Population total all countries 6,155,000.
Region	Also spoken in Argentina, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, Puerto Rico, Syria.
Alternate names	LEVANTINE ARABIC, SOUTH LEVANTINE ARABIC, PALESTINIAN-JORDANIAN ARABIC
Dialects	MADANI, FELLAHI.
Classification	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Comments	There are differences from village to village of which speakers are aware. There is a newly emerging urban standard dialect based on Amman. Used in drama. Radio programs, TV. Muslim, Christian. Bible portions 1940-1973.

Also spoken in:

Israel

Language name	ARABIC, SOUTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN
Population	910,000 in Israel.
Alternate names	LEVANTINE, PALESTANIAN-JORDANIAN ARABIC
Dialects	MADANI, FELLAHI.
Comments	Distinct from North Levantine Arabic. Bilingualism in Hebrew. A few hundred speakers are of Gypsy origin. Literacy rate in second language: 90% in Arabic, 60% in Hebrew. Muslim, Christian, Jews, Druze. Bible portions 1940-1973. See main entry under Jordan.

Palestinian West Bank and Gaza

Language name	ARABIC, SOUTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN
Population	1,600,000 in Palestinian West Bank and Gaza (1996).
Alternate names	BEDAWI
Dialects	MADANI, FELLAHI.
Comments	Bilingualism in Hebrew. Distinct from North Levantine (Lebanese-Syrian) Arabic. Muslim, Christian. Bible portions 1940-1973. See main entry under Jordan.