Languages of Yemen
See language map.Republic of Yemen, al-Jumhurïyah al-Yamaniyah. 21,096,000. National or official language: Standard Arabic. Literacy rate: 25%–39%. Immigrant languages: Egyptian Spoken Arabic (10,000), Hindi (233,000), Somali (679,000), Western Cham. Also includes languages of Africa (28,000), and of India and Pakistan (65,000). Information mainly from T. Johnstone 1987; R. Nyrop 1986; T. Sebeok 1970. Deaf population: 1,052,571. The number of individual languages listed for Yemen is 10. Of those, all are living languages.
| Arabic, Gulf Spoken | [afb]
10,000 in Yemen.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Arabic, Hadrami Spoken | [ayh]
300,000 in Yemen (1995). Population total all countries: 410,000. Hadramaut. Also in Eritrea, Kenya.
Alternate names: Hadrami, Hadromi.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Arabic, Judeo-Yemeni | [jye]
1,000 in Yemen (1995 H. Mutzafi).
Alternate names: Judeo-Yemeni, Yemenite Judeo-Arabic.
Dialects: San’a, ’Aden, Be:da, Habban.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
|
| Arabic, Sanaani Spoken | [ayn]
7,600,000 (1996). Extends as far south as Dhamar.
Alternate names: Northern Yemeni Arabic.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Arabic, Standard | [arb]
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Arabic, Ta’izzi-Adeni Spoken | [acq]
6,760,000 in Yemen (1996). Population total all countries: 7,078,500. All provinces except the 2 east and the northeast ones. Probably a few in United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Also in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, Libya, Somalia, United Kingdom.
Alternate names: Southern Yemeni Spoken Arabic.
Dialects: Ta’izzi, Adeni. Ta’izzi dialect is best-accepted in Yemen.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Bathari | [bhm]
Population total all countries: 200. Also in Oman.
Alternate names: Bathara, Bautahari, Botahari.
Dialects: Similar to Mehri [gdq].
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian
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| Hobyót | [hoh]
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian
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| Mehri | [gdq]
70,600 in Yemen (2000). Population total all countries: 135,800. Mahrah Governorate. Also in Kuwait, Oman.
Alternate names: Mahri.
Dialects: Western Mehri (Mehriyet), Eastern Mehri (Mehriyot). Within main dialects there are also differences between bedouin and City varieties.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian
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| Soqotri | [sqt]
57,000 in Yemen (1990 census). Population total all countries: 64,000. Mainly Soqotra Island; ’Abd al-Kuri island, Samha Island in the Gulf of Aden. Also in United Arab Emirates.
Alternate names: Saqatri, Socotri, Sokotri, Suqutri.
Dialects: ’Abd Al-Kuri, Southern Soqotri, Northern Soqotri, Central Soqotri, Western Soqotri.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian
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