Libya

Languages

Arabic, Egyptian Spoken arz

Users: 671,000 in Libya (2020). No monolinguals. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Hassaniyya mey

Users: 54,000 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Libyan Spoken ayl

Widespread, especially north. Users: 4,550,000 in Libya (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 5,343,950. Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Shaped by the Sulaimi migration and the migration of Arabs to the Maghreb in 1492 following the Reconquista; spoken throughout northeastern Africa. Used as a lingua franca by Libyans whose L1 is not Arabic. Used in spoken communication in Libya, folk poetry, entertainment, and written communication online. Alternate Names: Libyan Arabic, Libyan Vernacular Arabic, Sulaimitian Arabic, Western Egyptian Bedawi Spoken Arabic Autonym: ليبي‎ (Lībi) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Moroccan Spoken ary

Users: 306,000 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc

Users: 72,500 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Standard arb

Users: 5,650,000 in Libya (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (2011, Constitutional Declaration, Article 1). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Sudanese Spoken apd

Users: 305,000 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Ta’izzi-Adeni Spoken acq

Users: 132,000 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Tunisian Spoken aeb

Users: 213,000 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Awjilah auj

Al Wahat district: east, Cyrenaica. Users: 2,690 (2020). Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Aoudjila, Augila, Aujila, Awjila, Awjili Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Eastern, Awjila-Sokna

Bulgarian bul

Users: 3,600 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Eastern

Chinese, Mandarin cmn

Users: 2,320 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

English eng

Users: 13,700 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English

French fra

Users: 8,220 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French

Ghadamès gha

Nalut district: Ghadamès, a small oasis near Algeria-Tunisia border. Users: 13,400 in Libya (2020). Total users in all countries: 16,500. Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Berbère, Ghadāmis, Ghadames Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Northern, Zenati, East

Greek ell

Users: 8,220 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic

Italian ita

Users: 30,300 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian

Korean kor

Users: 15,500 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Koreanic

Libyan Sign Language lbs

Scattered. Users: 20,000 (2021 DBS/DOOR/IMB). Estimated 13,000–27,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.2%–0.4% of total population. Another estimate: 38,000 (2014 IMB). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language

Maltese mlt

Users: 7,200 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Nafusi jbn

Al Jabal al Gharbi and Nalut districts: Jabal Nafusah, Nalut, Tripolitania, and Yafran areas, isolated on Zuara Coast west of Tripoli. Users: 247,000 in Libya (2020). Preschool children are monolingual in Nafusi. Total users in all countries: 297,000. Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Djerbi, Jabal Nafusi, Jbel Nafusi, Jebel Nefusi, Nefusi Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Northern, Zenati, East

Punjabi, Western pnb

Users: 72,500 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Panjabi, Western Panjabi

Sawknah swn

Al Jufrah district. Users: No known L1 speakers. The last speaker probably died in the 1950s (Basset 1969). Status: 10 (Extinct). Alternate Names: Sokna, Sokni, Sukna, Tasuknit Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Eastern, Awjila-Sokna

Serbian srp

Users: 28,900 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Western

Sinhala sin

Users: 16,400 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Southern, Sinhalese-Maldivian

Siwi siz

Al Butnan district: Jaghbub town. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Eastern, Siwa

Tagalog tgl

Users: 13,700 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Central Philippine, Central Philippine, Tagalog

Tamahaq, Tahaggart thv

Ghat and Murzuq districts; south Hoggar mountains, Tamanrasset and south (Hoggar dialect); Ganet and west Libya oases, Ghat area (Ghat dialect). Users: 22,800 in Libya (2020). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Tamachek, Tamachek’, Tamahaq, Tamashekin, Tamasheq, Tomachek, Tourage, Toureg, Tuareg Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Tamasheq, Northern

Tedaga tuq

Murzuq district: Al Katrun and Maknusa; southwest border area. Users: 2,690 in Libya (2020). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Tudaga Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Saharan, Western, Tebu

Turkish tur

Users: 15,000 in Libya (2010 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish

Zaghawa zag

Users: 9,400 in Libya (2020). Status: Unestablished. Alternate Names: Beria Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Saharan, Eastern