14,904,000 (1995). Syrian Arab Republic, al-jamhouriya al Arabia as-Souriya. Literacy rate 65%, 78% males. Also includes Assyrian Neo-Aramaic 10,000 (1994). Data accuracy estimate: C. Sunni Muslim, Alawi Muslim, Ismaili Muslim, Christian, Druze, secular. Blind population 152. Deaf institutions: 1. The number of languages listed for Syria is 17. Of those, 16 are living languages and 1 is extinct.
ADYGHE (CIRCASSIAN, ADYGEY) [ADY] 25,000 in Syria; 280,000 or more in all countries. Also in Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Germany, Macedonia, USA, and Russia. North Caucasian, Northwest, Circassian. Sunni Muslim. NT 1992. Bible portions 1977.
ARABIC, LEVANTINE BEDAWI SPOKEN (BEDAWI) [AVL] 70,000 in Syria; 700,000 in Jordan (1996); 780,000 in Egypt (1996). Southwest corner, Hawran region, from the border to within 20 miles of Damascus. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Sunni Muslim, Christian. Survey needed.
ARABIC, MESOPOTAMIAN SPOKEN (NORTH SYRIAN, FURATI, MESOPOTAMIAN GELET ARABIC) [ACM] 1,800,000 in Syria; 15,100,000 in all countries (1996). Eastern Syria. Also in Iran and Turkey. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Typology: SVO. Muslim, Christian. Survey needed.
ARABIC, NAJDI SPOKEN (BEDAWI) [ARS] 500,000 in Syria, including 1,000,000 North Najdi, 1,000,000 Central Najdi (1995); 8,000,000 in Saudi Arabia; 50,000 in Jordan; 900,000 in Iraq; 190,000 in USA; 20,000 in Canada; 9,700,000 in all countries. Syrian desert. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Spoken by bedouin. Survey needed.
ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN (LEVANTINE ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE ARABIC, LEBANESE-SYRIAN ARABIC, SYRO-LEBANESE ARABIC) [APC] 8,800,000 in Syria, including 6,000,000 in Lebanese- Central Syrian, 1,000,000 in North Syrian (1991); 8% are Bedouins; 3,900,000 in Lebanon; 1,000,000 in Argentina; 500,000 in Turkey; 100,000 in Israel (1996); 3,000 in Dominican Republic; 800 in French Guiana; 2,000 in Jamaica; 2,600 in Trinidad and Tobago; 15,000,000 in all countries. Also in Antigua. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. There is an urban standard dialect based on Damascus speech. Used on television, radio talk shows and drama. Beiruti dialect is well accepted here. Aleppo dialect shows Mesopotamian (North Syrian) influcnce. Muslim, Christian, Druze, Jewish. Braille Scripture in progress. Survey needed.
ARABIC, NORTH MESOPOTAMIAN SPOKEN (MOSLAWI, SYRO-MESOPOTAMIAN ARABIC, MESOPOTAMIAN QELTU ARABIC) [AYP] 300,000 in Syria; 6,300,000 in all countries (1996). Far eastern Syria. Also in Iraq, Turkey, Jordan. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Muslim, Christian. Survey needed.
ARABIC, STANDARD [ABV] Middle East, North Africa. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic. Used for education, official purposes, books, newspapers, formal speeches. National language. Braille Scripture in progress. Bible 1984-1991. NT 1980-1982. Bible portions 1984.
ARMENIAN (HAIEREN, SOMKHURI, ERMENICE, ARMJANSKI) [ARM] 320,000 in Syria (1993), 2.8% of the population (1986); 6,836,000 in all countries. Also in Armenia, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, USA, France, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus, India, Greece, Canada, Bulgaria, India, Greece, republics of former USSR. Indo-European, Armenian. Dialect: WESTERN ARMENIAN. Eastern dialect spoken in Armenia and its Turkish and Iranian borderlands. Western dialect spoken elsewhere. Language of wider communication. Christian. Bible 1853-1978. NT 1825-1991. Bible portions 1840-1950.
ASSYRIAN NEO-ARAMAIC (LISHANA ATURAYA, SURET, SURETH, SURYAYA SWADAYA, ASSYRIAN, NEO-SYRIAC, ASSYRISKI, AISORSKI) [AII] 30,000 in Syria (1995); 30,000 in Iraq (1994); 10,000 to 20,000 in Iran (1994); 8,000 in Georgia (1994); 5,000 in Armenia (1994); 10,000 in Russia (1993); 1,231 in Azerbaijan; 80,000 in USA (Chicago and California); 30,000 in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne); 5,000 in Canada; 5,000 in United Kingdom; a few thousand in Turkey (1995); 200,000 in all countries (1995 H. Mutzafi). Over 30 villages on the banks of the Khabur River, northern Syria. Also in Cyprus, Germany, South America, and elsewhere. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern. Dialects: URMI (URMIY, URMEZHNAYA), ASHIRAT (ASHURI), SALAMAS. All dialects of Western, Northern, an Central Assyrian are spoken in Syria. Christian: Nestorian, a few Chaldeans (Uniate Catholic). Bible 1852-1911. NT 1846-1864. Bible portions 1840-1993. Work in progress.
AZERBAIJANI, SOUTH [AZB] 30,000 in Syria (1961 census); 4,000 in Jordan; 13,000,000 or more in Iran (1991); 5,000 or fewer in Afghanistan; 300,000 to 900,000 in Iraq; 530,000 or more in Turkey; 13,869,000 in all countries or more. Homs and Hama. Also in USA. Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani. Bilingual in Arabic. They are called 'Turkmen' in Syria and Iraq. The dialect spoken in Syria is different from Kirkuk of Iraq, and may be closer to Turkish (Osmanli) than to Azerbaijani. It is not a written language in Syria. Muslim. Work in progress.
DOMARI (MIDDLE EASTERN ROMANI, TSIGENE, GYPSY, NAWAR, KURBAT, BARAKE) [RMT] 10,000 in Syria (1961); 80,000 in Iran (1929); 50,000 in Iraq (1970); 20,000 perhaps in Turkey (1982); 500,000 in all countries (1980 Kenrick). Turkey to India; Nawar is in Palestine, Syria, and Egypt; Kurbat in Syria and western Iran; Helebi in Egypt and Libya; Karachi in north Turkey, the Caucasus of Russia; and north Iran; Domaki and Wogri-Boli in India; Barake in Syria; Luli and Maznoug in Uzbekistan; other groups in Iran; Churi-Wali in Afghanistan. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Northwestern zone, Dom. Dialects: NAWAR, KURBATI, BEIRUT, NABLOS, BARAKE. A Gypsy language. Arabic influence. Muslim. Survey needed.
KURMANJI (NORTHERN KURDISH, KERMANJI, KIRMANJI) [KUR] 938,000 in Syria (1993), 6.3% of the population; 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 in all countries (1987 estimate). Northern Syria. Also in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, and Lebanon. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish. Distinct from Kurdi (Southern Kurdish). A few urbanites and nomads. Bilingual in Arabic. Roman script is used in Turkey; Arabic script in Syria, Iran, and Iraq; Cyrillic in USSR. Teaching Kurmanji is prohibited in Syrian schools (Time 4/1/91). Language of wider communication. Mainly agriculturalists. Muslim. NT 1872. Bible portions 1856-1993. Work in progress.
LOMAVREN (ARMENIAN BOSHA, ARMENIAN BOSA, BOSHA, BOSA) [RMI] Also in Armenia. Indo-European, Armenian. A Gypsy language. Restructured Armenian. Survey needed.
MLAHSÓ [QMQ] 1 elderly speaker (1994 Hezy Mutzafi). Qamishli town. Originally in Mlahsó and <Ansha villages, Diyarbakir Province, Turkey. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern. Close to Turoyo. Mlahsó was still spoken by a handful of people during the 1970's. Christian (Jacobite). Nearly extinct.
SYRIAC (CLASSICAL SYRIAC, ANCIENT SYRIAC, SURYAYA, SURYOYO) [SYC] Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern. Dialects: WESTERN SYRIAC, EASTERN SYRIAC. The Syrian churches (Eastern (Nestorian), Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite), Syrian Catholic (Melkite, Maronite) developed a vast literature based on the Edessa (currently Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey) variety of the Syrian dialect. The Assyrian group (see Assyrian Neo-Aramaic in Iraq and elsewhere) separated denominationally from the Chaldean (see Chaldean Neo-Aramaic in Iraq) and Suryoyo (see Turkey and Syria) in the Middle Ages. Became extinct in the 10th to the 12th centuries. Still used as a literary secular language among followers of these churches, although rarely. Neo-Eastern Aramaic languages spoken cy Christians are often dubbbed 'Neo-Syriac', although not directly descended from Syriac. Christian: Nestorian, Jacobite, Melkite, Maronite, Syrian Orthodox. Bible 1645-1891. NT 1555-1920. Bible portions 1625-1904.
TUROYO (SURYOYO, SYRYOYO, TURANI) [SYR] 7,000 speakers in Syria (1994), of 20,000 in the ethnic group; 3,000 in Turkey (1994); 5,000 in USA (1994); 20,000 in Sweden (1994); 3,000 in Iraq (1992); 2,000 in Australia (1994);20,000 in Germany; 4,000 in Netherlands; 2,000 in Belgium; 70,000 in all countries (1994 H. Mutzafi). Also in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, a few in Lebanon. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern. Related to, but distinct from Northeastern Aramaic. Religious capital is in Damascus; formerly at Tur <Abdin, Turkey. Western Syriac used in church, Turoyo at home, Arabic in schools and trade. Christian (Jacobite). Bible portions 1983. Work in progress.
WESTERN NEO-ARAMAIC (MAALULA, NEO-WESTERN ARAMAIC) [AMW] 15,000 speakers including 8,000 in Maaloula (1996 Maalula Home Page, Internet),. Qalamoun mts., 30 miles north of Damascus. Villages of Ma<lula, Bakh<a, and Jubb <Adin. Only in Syria. Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Western. Dialects: MA<LULA (MAALULA, MAALOULA, MA<LU:LA), BAKH<A (BAX<A), JUB-<ADIN (JUBB <ADI:N). Speakers are bilingual in Syrian Arabic. They use Aramaic in homes and as a literary and religious language. There are members of the ethnic group in the USA who now speak Arabic. Little dialect variation. Mountain slope. Peasant agriculturalists, vineyards, orchards. Altitude: 1,500 meters. Christian (Melchite, 1 village), Sunni Muslim (2 villages). 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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