Arabic, Najdi Spoken
PrintPrimary tabs
A language of Saudi Arabia
843,000 in Saudi Arabia (Leclerc 2011). Total users in all countries: 4,188,700.
Widespread, especially interior areas; includes Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Qasim, and Ha’il provinces; Al Madinah al Munawwarah province: Ta’if area and east; Ash Sharqiyah province north; Ar Riyad province: all but southeast; ’Asir and Najran provinces: south and west; Jizan province: small border area; Tabuk province: northeast.
3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.
North Najdi (Bani Khaalid, Dafiir, Shammari), Central Najdi (’Ajmaan, ’Awaazim, ’Utaiba, Al-Qasiim, Biishah, Haayil, Hofuf, Mutair, Najraan, Rashaayda, Riyadh, Rwala, Sudair, Wild ’Ali), South Najdi (Aal Murrah, Najran). Some dialects spoken by Bedouins. A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].
SVO.
Grammar. Bible portions: 2013.
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab].
Muslim.