Arabic, Egyptian Spoken

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A language of Egypt

ISO 639-3
arz
Alternate Names
Lower Egypt Arabic, Massry, Modern Egyptian Language, Normal Egyptian Arabic
Autonym
عامي‎ (Ammi), مصري‎ (Masri)
User Population

67,000,000 in Egypt (2019). Total users in all countries: 74,826,320.

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Dialects

West Delta Arabic, South Delta Arabic, Cairene Arabic, Alexandrian Arabic, Port Said Arabic, East Delta Arabic. Egyptian Spoken Arabic, based on Cairo speech (Cairene) is the most widely understood variety used for media, both in Egypt and throughout the non-nomadic Arab world. It is an amalgam of Delta Arabic and Middle Egypt Arabic, with borrowings from literary Arabic. A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].

Language Use

All domains. Also use English [eng], especially in academic settings. Also use French [fra], especially in academic settings. Used as L2 by Greek [ell], Mattokki [xnz], Nobiin [fia], Sa’idi Spoken Arabic [aec], Siwi [siz], Western Armenian [hyw].

Language Development

Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1932.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Arabic, Egyptian Spoken
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab], primary usage. Braille script [Brai].

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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