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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Jordan > Arabic, South Levantine Spoken

Arabic, South Levantine Spoken

A language of Jordan

ISO 639-3: ajp

Population  3,500,000 in Jordan (1996). Population total all countries: 6,200,000.
Region  Also in Argentina, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Libya, Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, Puerto Rico, Syria.
Language map  Jordan and Syria
Alternate names   Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Palestinian-Jordanian, South Levantine Arabic
Dialects  Madani, Fellahi. Village to village difference of which speakers are aware. Newly emerging urban standard dialect based on Amman.
Classification  Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara] (Saudi Arabia).
Language use  Drama.
Language development  Radio programs. TV. Bible portions: 1940–1973.
Comments  Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Israel

Language name   Arabic, South Levantine Spoken
Population  910,000 in Israel.
Alternate names  Levantine, Palestanian-Jordanian Arabic
Dialects  Madani, Fellahi.
Language use  Also use Hebrew [heb].
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 90% in Arabic [arb], 60% in Hebrew [heb].
Comments  A few hundred are of Gypsy origin. Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Druze.
 

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.
Language use  Also use Hebrew [heb].
Comments  Distinct from North Levantine (Lebanese-Syrian) Arabic [apc]. Muslim, Christian.