60,470,000 (1995). Arab Republic of Egypt. Jumhuriya Misr al-Arabiya. Literacy rate 55% (1993 govt. figure). Also includes South Levantine Spoken Arabic 50,000 or fewer, Sudanese Spoken Arabic 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 (1991). Information mainly from J M. Cowan 1973, Applegate 1970. Data accuracy estimate: B. Literacy rate 55. Muslim, Christian, secular. Blind population 1,000,000. Deaf institutions: 4. The number of languages listed for Egypt is 12. Of those, 11 are living languages and 1 is extinct.
ARABIC, EGYPTIAN SPOKEN (LOWER EGYPT ARABIC, NORMAL EGYPTIAN ARABIC) [ARZ] 40,600,000 in Egypt (1996); 1,000,000 in Libya (1991); 450,000 in Iraq (1995); 100,000 or more in United Arab Emirates (1991); 10,000 or fewer in Yemen (1995); 10,000 in Jordan (1991); 20,000 in Kuwait (1995); 25,000 in Israel (1994); 300,000 in Saudi Arabia (1991); 42,500,000 in all countries. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Dialects: NORTH DELTA ARABIC, SOUTH CENTRAL DELTA ARABIC, CAIRENE ARABIC. The media have established a normal Egyptian Spoken Arabic based on Cairo speech. Cairene is the most widely understood dialect used for non-print media, both in Egypt and throughout the sedentary Arab world. It is an amalgam of Delta Arabic and Middle Egypt Arabic, with borrowings from literary Arabic. Used on television, radio talk shows, and for political speeches. National language. Muslim. Braille Bible portions. NT 1932, out of print. Bible portions 1905-1991. Survey needed.
ARABIC, NORTHEAST EGYPTIAN BEDAWI SPOKEN (BEDAWI, LEVANTINE BEDAWI ARABIC) [AVL] 780,000 in Egypt (1996); 700,000 in Jordan; 70,000 in Syria (1996); 2,600,000 in all countries. Bedouin regions in Sinai and along parts of the Red Sea coast. Also in Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, and Israel. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Dialects: NORTHEAST EGYPTIAN BEDAWI ARABIC, SOUTH LEVANTINE BEDAWI ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE BEDAWI ARABIC. Similar to some Hijazi dialect in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Sunni Muslim. Survey needed.
ARABIC, NORTHWEST EGYPTIAN BEDAWI SPOKEN (BEDAWI, LIBYAN SPOKEN ARABIC, SULAIMITIAN ARABIC, MAGHREBI ARABIC) [AYL] 300,000 in Egypt (1996); 4,200,000 in Libya (1995); 4,500,000 in both countries. Bedouin regions from the edge of Alexandria west to the Libyan border. Some in western oases. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Dialects: NORTHWEST EGYPTIAN BEDAWI ARABIC, TRIPOLITANIAN ARABIC, SOUTHERN LIBYAN ARABIC, EASTERN LIBYAN ARABIC. Sunni Muslim. Survey needed.
ARABIC, SA<IDI SPOKEN (SA<IDI, UPPER EGYPT ARABIC) [AEC] 18,900,000 (1996). Southern Egypt from the edge of Cairo to the Sudan border. The Middle Egypt dialect is in Bani Sweef, Fayyuum, and Gizeh. Upper Egypt dialect is from Asyuut to Edfu and south. Some might be in Libya or the Gulf. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Dialects: MIDDLE EGYPT ARABIC, UPPER EGYPT ARABIC. Similar to Sudanese Arabic, especially in the south, but heavily influenced by Cairene Arabic. Speakers prefer Cairene over Sudanese. Speakers of Cairene do not understand Sa<idi, but speakers of Sa<idi understand Cairene, and some use it as second language. Survey needed.
ARABIC, STANDARD [ABV] Middle East, North Africa. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Preserves ancient grammar. Used for nearly all written materials and formal speeches. Not a mother tongue, but taught in schools. National language. Braille Scripture in progress. Bible 1984-1991. NT 1980-1982. Bible portions 1984.
ARMENIAN (HAIEREN, SOMKHURI, ERMENICE, ARMJANSKI) [ARM] 100,000 in Egypt; 6,815,000 in all countries. Also in Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, USA, France, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, India. Indo-European, Armenian. Dialect: WESTERN ARMENIAN. Language of wider communication. Christian. Bible 1853-1978. NT 1825-1991. Bible portions 1840-1950.
COPTIC (NEO-EGYPTIAN) [COP] Afro-Asiatic, Egyptian. Dialects: BOHAIRIC, SAHIDIC. Liturgical language of the Coptic Church, Bohairic dialect. No first language speakers; it probably became extinct in the 16th century. 4,000,000 Coptic Christians. NT 1716-1924.
DOMARI [RMT] 500,000 speakers in all countries (1980 Kenrick). 1,080,000 Muslim Gypsies in Egypt, or 2% of the population, including 864,000 Halebi, 216,000 Ghagar (1993 Johnstone). The Ghagar live mainly in Dakahlia Governorate, north of Cairo. Also in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Libya, Russia, Uzbekistan, India, Afghanistan. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Dom. Dialects: NAWAR (GHAGAR), HELEBI. A Gypsy language. Reports that many now speak Arabic. Muslim. Survey needed.
GREEK [GRK] 60,000 in Egypt (1977 Voegelin and Voegelin); 12,000,000 in all countries (1995 WA). Alexandria. Also Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Corsica, Italy, Romania, Albania, Russia, USA, Canada, Australia. Indo-European, Greek, Attic. Bible 1840-1994. NT 1638-1989. Bible portions 1547-1949.
KENUZI-DONGOLA (DONGOLA-KENUZ, NILE NUBIAN, DONGOLAWI, METOKI) [KNC] 100,000 in Egypt (1996); 180,000 in Sudan (1996); 280,000 in all countries. 39% of Nile Nubians are in Egypt. 40% in the Upper Nile valley, mainly at Kom Ombo, the rest in various cities. Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Eastern, Nubian, Central, Dongolawi. Dialects: DONGOLA, KENUZ (KENUZI, KUNUZI, KENZI). The language is the central feature of Nubian identity. Over 70% of the men can read Arabic script; many can read Roman script. 67% lexical similarity with Nobiin; not intelligible. The ethnic group is larger in Egypt, but many are now monolingual in Egyptian or Saidi Arabic. The shift to Arabic is expected to continue in the cities. Muslim. Bible portions 1912. Survey needed.
NOBIIN (FIADIDJA-MAHAS, MAHAS-FIADIDJA, FADICCA, FADICHA, FEDIJA, FADIJA, FIADIDJA, FIYADIKKYA, FEDICCA, NILE NUBIAN, MAHAS, SUKOT) [FIA] 200,000 in Egypt (1996); 295,000 in Sudan (1996); 50,000 scattered elsewhere; 545,000 in all countries. 52% of Nile Nubians in Egypt are Fiadidja (1987 Schreck and Barrett). 40% in the Upper Nile Valley, mainly near Kom Ombo; the rest in various cities. Also in Sudan. Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Eastern, Nubian, Northern. 67% lexical similarity with Kenuzi-Dongola; not intelligible. Spoken by the Fedicca in Egypt and the Mahas in Sudan. The language is the center of Nubian identity. 70% of the men can read Arabic script; many can read Roman script. The ethnic group is larger in Egypt, but most are now monolingual in Egyptian or Saidi Arabic. A shift to Arabic is expected to continue in the cities. Muslim. Bible portions 1860-1899. Survey needed.
SIWI (SIWA, SIOUA, OASIS BERBER, ZENATI) [SIZ] 5,000. Northwestern desert, Siwa Oasis, several isolated villages in the western oasis. Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Eastern, Siwa. Not closely related to other Berber languages. It is reported that most now have shifted to Arabic. Muslim. Survey needed.
Part of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor.
Copyright © 1996, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc. All rights reserved.
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