Syria

Languages

Abkhaz abk

Users: 5,000 in Syria (2014 NCRP). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Abkhaz-Adyghe, Abkhaz-Abazin

Adyghe ady

As Suwayda’ governorate: Salkhad district; Dara’a governorate: Dar’a district. Users: 25,300 in Syria (2019). Status: 5* (Developing). Alternate Names: Adygey, West Circassian Classification: Abkhaz-Adyghe, Circassian

Arabic, Egyptian Spoken arz

Users: 70,200 in Syria (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Levantine Bedawi Spoken avl

As Suwayda’ and Dara’a governorates in southwest corner; Hauran region southwest, from the border to within 35 km of Damascus. Users: 71,000 in Syria (2019). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken acm

Ar Raqqah and Halab governorates: Buhayrat al Asad reservoir at center; Dayr az Zawr governorate: along the Euphrates; west Hamah, central Hims, and east Idlib governorates. Users: 49,200 in Syria (2019). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Furati, Mesopotamian Gelet Arabic, North Syrian Arabic Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Najdi Spoken ars

Widespread; eastern Syrian desert. Users: 1,220,000 in Syria (2019). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Bedawi, Najdi Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc

Al Ladhiqiyah and Tartus governorates; widespread along Mediterranean coast. Users: 15,400,000 in Syria (2022). Total users in all countries: 33,241,260 (as L1: 31,582,260; as L2: 359,000). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Became a dominant language following the Muslim conquest (634–638). Widely spoken in the Levant region. Used in day-to-day communication. Alternate Names: Lebanese-Syrian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, North Levantine Arabic, Syro-Lebanese Arabic, il-lahje š-šāmiyye Autonym: شامي‎ (Shami) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, North Mesopotamian Spoken ayp

Al Hasakah governorate: Damascus toward north border with Turkey. Users: 300,000 in Syria (1992). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Maslawi, Mesopotamian Qeltu Arabic, Moslawi, Syro-Mesopotamian Arabic Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, South Levantine Spoken ajp

Al Qunaytirah, As Suwayda’, and Dara’a governorates; Hauran region. Users: 35,700 in Syria (2021). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Standard arb

Widespread. Users: 15,900,000 in Syria (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1973, Constitution, Article 4). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Armenian, Western hyw

Al Ladhiqiyah governorate: Kessab and Latakia; Idlib governorate: Jisr al-Shughur. Users: 60,000 in Syria (2019). Status: 5* (Developing). Classification: Indo-European, Armenian

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic aii

Al Hasakah governorate: Khabur river banks, Turkey border, over 30 villages; some in Al Hasakah city. Users: 164,000 in Syria (2019). Ethnic population: 700,000. Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Assyrian, Lishana Aturaya, Neo-Syriac, Suret, Sureth, Suryaya Swadaya Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern

Azerbaijani, South azb

Hamah and Hims governorates: isolated central enclaves in both. Users: 31,900 in Syria (2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Azeri, Turkmen, Turkomen Classification: Turkic, Southern, Azerbaijani

Chaldean Neo-Aramaic cld

Users: 5,430 in Syria (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northeastern

Chechen che

Users: 4,420 in Syria (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Nakh-Daghestanian, Nakh, Chechen-Ingush

Domari rmt

Ar Raqqah governorate: scattered nomadic groups; north, western rural areas. Users: A few scattered and isolated speaker populations (Herin 2016). Ethnic population: 10,000 (2022 A. Dusséaux). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Barake, Dom, Gypsy, Kurbat, Middle Eastern Romani, Nawar, Qurbāti, Tsigene Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Dom

French fra

Users: 10,100 in Syria (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French

Kabardian kbd

Dimashq governorate; Damascus, Aleppo, possibly other cities. Users: 34,800 in Syria (2019). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Classification: Abkhaz-Adyghe, Circassian

Kurdish, Northern kmr

Al Hasakah governorate: Al Hasakah city northwest border; Halab governorate: north of Euphrates reservoir; Ar Raqqah governorate: area surrounding capital. Users: 1,370,000 in Syria (2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Ezdiki, Kurdî, Kurmancî, Kurmanji Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Northwestern, Kurdish

Lomavren rmi

Al Hasakah governorate. Users: No known L1 speakers in Syria. Status: 10 (Extinct). Alternate Names: Armenian Bosha, Arnebuab Bisa, Bosa, Bosha Classification: Mixed language, Armenian-Romani

Mlahsö lhs

Al Hasakah governorate: Qamishli town. Users: No known L1 speakers. The last speaker, Ibrahim Hanna, died in 1998. Status: 10 (Extinct). Alternate Names: Suryoyo Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern

Ossetic oss

Dara’a province. Users: 50,000 in Syria (2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Northeastern

Persian, Iranian pes

Users: 47,000 in Syria (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Southwestern, Persian

Turkish tur

Al Ladhiqiyah governorate: Bayirbucak; Ar Raqqah governorate: Raqqa and Tell Abyad; Dimashq governorate: Damascus; Halab governorate: Aleppo; Hamah governorate; Hims governorate: Homs. Users: 1,500,000 in Syria (Mustafa 2015). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Turkmen, Turkoman Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish

Turoyo tru

Al Hasakah governorate: far northeast corner, Tigris river near Cizre. Users: 23,200 in Syria (2019). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Surayt, Suryoyo, Syryoyo, Turani Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Eastern, Central, Northwestern

Western Neo-Aramaic amw

Rif Dimashq governorate: Al-Qutayfah district, Bakh’a, Jubb ’Adin, and Ma’lula villages; Qalamoun mountains, 50 km north of Damascus. Users: 17,400 (2019). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Loghtha Siryanooytha, Maaloula, Maalula, Neo-Western Aramaic, Siryoon Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, Aramaic, Western