The United Nation Arabic Language Day is observed on December 18th each year.
This is an opportunity to share some key information on the Arabic language.
Overview
There are over 290 million Arabic speakers around the world, in North Africa, the Middle East, and plenty of Western countries like the United States.
Varieties
Even though a standardized written Arabic language exists (also called Modern Standard Arabic), most Arabic speakers mix a local variety with the standard Arabic variety.
The 5 most common regional Arabic varieties are: Maghrebi, Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, and Iraqi.
Maghrebi
Spoken in the North African Maghreb, this variety is sometimes difficult for other Arabic speakers to understand due to its French and local Berber influence.
Egyptian
Originating in Egypt, this variety has been popularized due to media and the video entertainment industry.
Levantine
Spoken in a smaller region of the Middle East and closely related to Aramaic.
Gulf
This variety is thought to be most closely related to the Modern Standard Arabic variety because it is spoken where MSA was developed.
Iraqi
This variety resembles the Gulf variety with differences in pronunciation, conjugation, and more.
Read more about the structure of these languages on this University of Pennsylvania article.
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