Languages of Lebanon
Republic of
Lebanon, al-Jumhouriya al-Lubnaniya. National or official languages: Standard
Arabic, French. 3,191,000 (1998 UN). Literacy rate 70% to 75%. Also includes
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic 1,000, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, Kurmanji 70,000, Turoyo.
Information mainly from T. Sebeok 1963; H. Fleisch 1974; W. Fischer and O.
Jastrow 1980. Shi'a Muslim, Sunni Muslim, Christian, Druze, secular. Blind
population 5,000. Deaf population 219,480. Deaf institutions: 13. Data accuracy
estimate: B. The number of languages listed for Lebanon is 5. Of those, all are
living languages. Diversity index 0.14.
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Spoken living languages
ARABIC, NORTH LEVANTINE SPOKEN
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[APC] 3,900,000 in Lebanon, 93% of the population
(1991). Throughout Lebanon. Alternate
names: LEVANTINE ARABIC, LEBANESE-SYRIAN ARABIC, SYRO-LEBANESE ARABIC.
Dialects: NORTH LEBANESE ARABIC,
NORTH-CENTRAL LEBANEE ARABIC, SOUTH-CENTRAL LEBANESE ARABIC, SOUTH
LEBANESE ARABIC, CENTRAL SYRIAN ARABIC (SHAMI). Classification:
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
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ARABIC, STANDARD
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[ABV] Middle East, North Africa. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
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ARMENIAN
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[ARM] 234,600 in Lebanon, 6% of the population
(1986). Alternate names:
ERMENICE, ARMANSKI, HAIEREN, SOMKHURI. Dialects:
WESTERN ARMENIAN. Classification:
Indo-European, Armenian.
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ENGLISH
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[ENG] Classification:
Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.
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FRENCH
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[FRN] Classification:
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian,
Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.
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