Arabic, Egyptian Spoken

Print

A language of Egypt

Alternate Names
Lower Egypt Arabic, Masri, Massry, Normal Egyptian Arabic
Population

56,400,000 in Egypt (2014). Total users in all countries: 58,412,000.

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps
Language Status

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

Dialects

North Delta Arabic, South Central Delta Arabic, Cairene 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], French [fra]. Used as L2 by Mattokki [xnz], Sa’idi Spoken Arabic [aec], Siwi [siz].

Language Development
Radio programs. Films. TV. Grammar. NT: 1932–2012.
Writing

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

Other Comments

Muslim.