ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN: a language of Syria

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It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005).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: APC

ISO 639-2: sem

Population	8,800,000 in Syria, including 6,000,000 in Lebanese-Central Syrian, 1,000,000 in North Syrian (1991). Population total all countries 15,000,000.
Region	Also spoken in Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mali, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey (Asia).
Alternate names	LEVANTINE ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE ARABIC, LEBANESE-SYRIAN ARABIC, SYRO-LEBANESE ARABIC
Classification	Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Comments	There is an urban standard dialect based on Damascus speech. Beiruti dialect is well accepted here. Aleppo dialect shows Mesopotamian (North Syrian) influence. Used in drama. Radio programs, TV. Muslim, Christian, Druze, Jewish.

Also spoken in:

Lebanon

Language name	ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN
Population	3,900,000 in Lebanon, 93% of the population (1991).
Alternate names	LEVANTINE ARABIC, LEBANESE-SYRIAN ARABIC, SYRO-LEBANESE ARABIC
Dialects	NORTH LEBANESE ARABIC, NORTH-CENTRAL LEBANEE ARABIC, SOUTH-CENTRAL LEBANESE ARABIC, SOUTH LEBANESE ARABIC, CENTRAL SYRIAN ARABIC (SHAMI).
Comments	National language. Muslim, Christian, Druze. Bible portions 1973. See main entry under Syria.