Arabic, Libyan Spoken

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A language of Libya

ISO 639-3
ayl
Alternate Names
Libyan Arabic, Libyan Vernacular Arabic, Sulaimitian Arabic, Western Egyptian Bedawi Spoken Arabic
Autonym
ليبي‎ (Lībi)
User Population

4,550,000 in Libya (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 5,343,050.

Location

Widespread, especially north.

Language Maps
Language Status

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

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

Tripolitanian Arabic, Southern Libyan Arabic, Eastern Libyan Arabic. In the west it is reportedly similar to Bedouin Arabic of southern Tunisia [aeb]. A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].

Typology

VSO.

Language Use

Language not considered proper for official occasions, but at university, lecturers use it alongside Standard Arabic [arb]. Daily life. Used by all. Used as L2 by Awjilah [auj].

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools as subject. Literature. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar.

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

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab].

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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