Syria
PrintPrimary tabs
Adyghe
[ady] 25,000 in Syria. Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Adygey, West Circassian Classification: North Caucasian, West Caucasian, Circassian Comments: Muslim (Sunni).
Arabic, Levantine Bedawi Spoken
[avl] Southwest corner, Hawran region, from the border to within 35 km of Damascus. 70,000 in Syria. Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Bedawi Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic Comments: Muslim (Sunni), Christian.
Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken
[acm] East. 1,800,000 in Syria. Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Furati, Mesopotamian Gelet Arabic, North Syrian Arabic Dialects: Euphrates Cluster.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic Comments: Muslim, Christian, Jewish.
Arabic, Najdi Spoken
[ars] Syrian desert. 500,000 in Syria. 100,000 North Najdi, 100,000 Central Najdi (1995). Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Bedawi Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
[apc] Also in Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Egypt, French Guiana, Israel, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mali, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey. 8,800,000 in Syria (1991). 6,000,000 in Lebanese-Central Syrian, 1,000,000 in North Syrian. Population total all countries: 14,426,540. Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Alternate Names: Lebanese-Syrian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, North Levantine Arabic, Syro-Lebanese Arabic Dialects: There is an urban standard dialect based on Damascus speech. Beiruti dialect well accepted. Aleppo dialect shows Mesopotamian (North Syrian) influence.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic Comments: Muslim, Christian, Druze, Jewish.
Arabic, North Mesopotamian Spoken
[ayp] Far east. 300,000 in Syria (1992). Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Mesopotamian Qeltu Arabic, Moslawi, Syro-Mesopotamian Arabic Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic Comments: Muslim, Christian.
Arabic, Standard
[arb] Widespread. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1973, Constitution, Article 4). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Armenian
[hye] 320,000 in Syria (1993). Status: 5 (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Armjanski, Ermenice, Haieren, Somkhuri Dialects: Western Armenian.
Classification: Indo-European, Armenian Comments: Christian.
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
[aii] North, Khabur river banks. Over 30 villages. 30,000 in Syria (1995). Ethnic population: 700,000. Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Aisorski, Assyrian, Assyriski, Lishana Aturaya, Neo-Syriac, Suret, Sureth, Suryaya Swadaya Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern Comments: Christian (Nestorian).
Azerbaijani, South
[azb] Homs and Hama. 30,000 in Syria (1961 census). Status: 4 (Educational). Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani Comments: Ethnonym: Turkmen or Turkomen in Syria and Iraq. Not written in Syria. Muslim.
Domari
[rmt] Nawar dialect: Palestine, Syria, and Egypt; Kurbat dialect: Syria and western Iran; Helebi: Egypt and Libya; Karachi dialect: north Turkey, Russian Federation Caucasus, and north Iran; Domaki and Wogri-Boli: India; Barake dialect: Syria; Luli and Maznoug: Uzbekistan; other groups in Iran; Churi-Wali dialect: Afghanistan. 37,000 in Syria (2005). Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Barake, Gypsy, Kurbat, Middle Eastern Romani, Nawar, Tsigene Dialects: Barake, Beirut, Kurbati, Nablos, Nawar.
Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Dom Comments: Arabic influence. Muslim.
Kabardian
[kbd] Damascus; Aleppo. 39,000 in Syria (2005 Circassian Association). Status: 6b (Threatened). Classification: North Caucasian, West Caucasian, Circassian Comments: Muslim (Sunni).
Kurdish, Northern
[kmr] North: Northern Cizire (Qamishlok), Kurd-Dagh (Ciyayê Kurdî, Afrin), Ain-Arab, Allepo, Damascus. 938,000 in Syria (1993). Status: 5 (Developing). Alternate Names: Kurdi, Kurmancî, Kurmanji Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish Comments: Muslim (Sunni), Yezidi.
Lomavren
[rmi] Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Armenian Bosha, Arnebuab Bisa, Bosa, Bosha Classification: Mixed language, Armenian-Romani
Mlahsö
[lhs] Qamishli town; Diyarbakir Province, Turkey. No remaining speakers. Status: 10 (Extinct). Dialects: Similar to Turoyo [tru].
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern Comments: The last speaker died in 1998. A different language from Turoyo [tru], also called Suryoyo.
Turoyo
[tru] 7,000 in Syria (1994). Ethnic population: 20,000 (1994). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Surayt, Suryoyo, Syryoyo, Turani Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern Comments: Religious capital is Damascus; formerly at Tur ’Abdin, Turkey. Christian (Jacobite).
Western Neo-Aramaic
[amw] Qalamoun mountains, 50 km north of Damascus, Ma’lula, Bakh’a, and Jubb ’Adin villages. 15,000 (1996). 8,000 in Maaloula. Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Loghtha Siryanoytha, Maalula, Neo-Western Aramaic, Siryon Dialects: Bakh’a (Bax’a), Jub-’adin (Jubb ’Adi:n), Ma’lula (Maaloula, Maalula, Ma’lu:la). Little dialect variation.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Western Comments: Christian, Muslim (Sunni).