Yemen
PrintPrimary tabs
Arabic, Egyptian Spoken
[arz] Scattered. Users: 15,900 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Gulf Spoken
[afb] Widespread. Users: 15,900 in Yemen (2020). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Hadrami Spoken
[ayh] Hadramawt and Shabwah governorates. Users: 5,100,000 in Yemen (2020). Total users in all countries: 5,113,000. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Hadhrami Arabic, Hadrami, Hadromi, Ḥaḍrami Arabic. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Judeo-Yemeni
[jye] ‘Adan, Al Bayda’, Sanaa and Shabwah governorates: mainly urban communities; Shabwah governorate (Habban dialect). Users: 300 in Yemen (2010 J. Berer). Total users in all countries: 37,570. Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Judeo-Yemeni, Yemenite Judeo-Arabic, Yeminite. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken
[acm] Users: 39,700 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
[apc] Users: 22,300 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Omani Spoken
[acx] Scattered. Users: 156,000 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Sanaani Spoken
[ayn] Widespread; central areas: Amanat al Asimah and Sanaa governorates; outer areas: western Al Bayda’, Al Jawf, Al Mahwit, Amran, central and eastern Dhamar, eastern Hajjah, Ma’rib, and Sa’dah governorates. Users: 12,300,000 in Yemen (2020). Total users in all countries: 12,567,960. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in North Yemen. Alternate Names: Northern Yemeni Arabic. Autonym: يمني (Yamani). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Standard
[arb] Widespread. Users: 17,700,000 in Yemen (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 2). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Sudanese Spoken
[apd] Users: 391,000 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Ta’izzi-Adeni Spoken
[acq] Widespread. Users: 10,800,000 in Yemen (2020). Total users in all countries: 11,821,100. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in South Yemen. Alternate Names: Southern Yemeni Spoken Arabic. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Bathari
[bhm] Al Mahrah governorate. Users: Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Bathara, Bautahari, Botahari. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian.
English
[eng] Scattered. Users: 2,714,400 in Yemen, all users. L1 users: 14,400 in Yemen (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. L2 users: 2,700,000 (Ramaswami et al 2012). Status: 4 (Educational). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.
Hindi
[hin] Scattered. Users: 316,000 in Yemen (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Western Hindi, Hindustani.
Hobyót
[hoh] Al Mahrah governorate: near Oman border. Users: 400 in Yemen (Simeone-Senelle 2010). Total users in all countries: 500. Status: 8a (Moribund). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian.
Malay
[zlm] Users: 44,500 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Chamic, Malayic, Malay.
Mehri
[gdq] Al Mahrah governorate. Users: 92,300 in Yemen (2020). Total users in all countries: 228,900. Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Mahri. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian.
Persian, Iranian
[pes] Users: 22,300 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Southwestern, Persian.
Rāziḥī
[rzh] Sa‘dah governorate: Rāziḥ district; Jabal Rāziḥ massif region, numerous small settlements. Users: 62,900 (2004 census). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Jabal Razih, Rāziḥīt, S-samrit, Samrah Rāziḥīt, Samrit Rāziḥ. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central.
Somali
[som] Mainly camps near Aden. Users: 461,000 in Yemen (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Somali.
Soqotri
[sqt] Amanat al Asimah governorate: ’Abd al-Kuri, Darsah, Samha, and Soqotra islands in the Gulf of Aden. Users: 111,000 (2020). Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Saqatri, Socotri, Sokotri, South Arabian, Suqutri. Autonym: méthel d-saqátri. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian.