Arabic, Egyptian Spoken

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A language of Egypt

ISO 639-3
arz
Alternate Names
Lower Egypt Arabic, Masri, Massry, Normal Egyptian Arabic
Population

52,500,000 in Egypt (2006). Population total all countries: 55,039,000.

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps
Language Status

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

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

Cairene Arabic, North Delta Arabic, South Central Delta Arabic. Egyptian Spoken Arabic, based on Cairo speech (Cairene) is the most widely understood variety used for media, both in Egypt and throughout the non-nomadic Arab world. It is an amalgam of Delta Arabic and Middle Egypt Arabic, with borrowings from literary Arabic. A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].

Language Use

All domains. Also use English [eng] in academic settings. Also use French [fra] in academic settings. Used as L2 by Mattokki [xnz], Sa’idi Spoken Arabic [aec], Siwi [siz].

Language Development
Radio programs. Films. TV. Grammar. NT: 1932–2012.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Arabic, Egyptian Spoken
Writing

Arabic script [Arab], primary usage. Braille script [Brai].

Other Comments

Muslim.