Egypt

Languages

Amharic amh

Users: 5,000 in Egypt (2000 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, South, Transversal, Amharic-Argobba

Arabic, Algerian Saharan Spoken aao

Users: 30,000 in Egypt (2018). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Algerian Spoken arq

Scattered. Users: 1,810,000 in Egypt (2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Eastern Egyptian Bedawi Spoken avl

Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Isma’iliyah, As Suways, and Bur Sa’id governorates: parts of Red Sea coast east bank, almost to south border; Janub Sina’, Shamal Sina’, and Sinai governorates: mainly Bedouin regions. Users: 1,100,000 in Egypt (2019). Total users in all countries: 2,710,300. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Levantine Bedawi Arabic, Levantine Bedawi Spoken Arabic Autonym: بدوي‎ (Badawi) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Egyptian Spoken arz

Widespread. Users: 92,000,000 in Egypt, all users. L1 users: 67,000,000 in Egypt (2019). L2 users: 25,000,000 (2022). Total users in all countries: 99,826,730 (as L1: 74,826,730; as L2: 25,000,000). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Originated in the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt. Brought to Egypt in the 7th century during the Muslim conquest. Used in daily exchanges, nonprint media, and as an unofficial medium of education. Alternate Names: Lower Egypt Arabic, Massry, Modern Egyptian Language, Normal Egyptian Arabic Autonym: عامي‎ (Ammi), مصري‎ (Masri) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Gulf Spoken afb

Scattered. Users: 1,610,000 in Egypt (2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Moroccan Spoken ary

Scattered. Users: 1,710,000 in Egypt (2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc

Users: 173,000 in Egypt (2018). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Sa’idi Spoken aec

Widespread: Al-Minya governorate and south to Sudan border; Red Sea area; Cairo area. Users: 24,100,000 (2019). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Saidi Arabic, Upper Egypt Arabic Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Standard arb

Widespread. Users: 65,500,000 in Egypt (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (2014, Constitution, Article 2). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Sudanese Spoken apd

Users: 1,810,000 in Egypt (2019). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Ta’izzi-Adeni Spoken acq

Users: 172,000 in Egypt (2018). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Western Egyptian Bedawi Spoken ayl

Al Buhayrah, Al Iskandariyah, and Matruh governorates; Al Fayyum, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Wadi al Jadid, and Bani Suwayf governorates: western oases. Bedouin regions along Mediterranean coast, west to Libya border. Users: 402,000 in Egypt (2019). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Bedawi, Libyan Spoken Arabic, Maghrebi Arabic, Sulaimitian Arabic Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Armenian, Western hyw

Major cities. Users: 6,000 in Egypt (Zohry 2005). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Indo-European, Armenian

Bedawiyet bej

Al Bahr al Ahmar Governorate; north of Marsa al ’Alam south to administrative boundary on Red Sea east coast. Users: 77,000 in Egypt (1993). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Bedawi, Bedàwie, Beja, Bidhaawyeet, Tu Bdhaawi, Tubdhaawi Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, North

Coptic cop

Scattered, used liturgically in Coptic Orthodox and Coptic Catholic churches. Users: No known L1 speakers. Ethnic population: No ethnic community. Status: 9 (Second language only). Autonym: ϯⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ‎ (timetremənkʰēmi) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Egyptian

Egyptian Sign Language esl

Scattered. Users: 500,000 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 300,000–600,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of the total population. Another estimate: 474,000 (2014 IMB). Status: 5 (Developing). Alternate Names: ESL, Egypt Sign Language, LIM, Lughat al-Ishaara al-Masriya, Lughat al-‘Ishāra al-Maṣriyya Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language

English eng

Users: 35,119,000 in Egypt, all users. L1 users: 19,000 in Egypt (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. L2 users: 35,100,000 (Ramaswami et al 2012). Status: 4 (Educational). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English

French fra

Users: 3,190,000 in Egypt, all users. L1 users: 90,000 in Egypt (2022 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. L2 users: 3,100,000 (Marcoux et al 2022). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French

Greek ell

Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria) and Al Qahirah (Cairo). Users: A few elderly speakers in Cairo and Alexandria (2014). Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic

Mattokki xnz

Al Wadi al Jadid governorate: scattered in various cities; Aswan governorate: Lake Nasser northern tip, and near Kom Ombo, 50 km north of Aswan city. Users: 50,000 (2014), decreasing. Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Kenuz, Kenuzi, Kenzi, Kunuz, Kunuz Nubian, Kunuzi Autonym: Mattokki Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Core, Eastern Sudanic, Northern (k languages), Nubian, Central

Nobiin fia

Aswan governorate: Kom Ombo area; shares area with Mattokki [xnz]; scattered in cities. Users: 402,000 in Egypt (2019). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Fadicca, Fadicha, Fadija, Fedicca, Fedija, Fiadidja, Fiadidja-Mahas, Fiyadikkya, Mahas, Mahas-Fiadidja, Sukot Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Core, Eastern Sudanic, Northern (k languages), Nubian, Northern

Siwi siz

Matruh governorate: northwest desert, Siwa oasis; several isolated villages in Gara oasis. Users: 20,000 in Egypt (2013). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Oasis Berber, Sioua, Siwa, Zenati, ijlaan n siwaan Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Eastern, Siwa

Turkish tur

Users: 43,000 in Egypt (2018). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish