Syria Languages

Syria Wiki Topics

Syria Beginning Research

Finding Town of Origin Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Online Genealogy Records Religious Records Tribal & Clan Lineages

Syria Background

Gazetteers History Languages Maps Naming Customs Social Life & Customs

Syria Genealogical Word Lists

Arabic

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Syria

Languages

Description

The official language of Syria is Arabic and is the most widely spoken language in the country. Several modern Arabic dialects are used in everyday life, including Levantine or Shami in the west and Mesopotamian in the northeast.

The following languages are spoken in the country, in order of the number of speakers. None of these languages has official status:

• Kurdish - The second most spoken language in Syria
• Turkish - The third most spoken language
• Neo-Aramaic
• Circassian
• Chechen
• Armenian
• Greek

English and French are spoken by Syrian citizens in urban centers and the educated.

Word List(s)

Modern Standard Arabic

• Arabic Genealogical Word List
• Common phrases (Wikipedia)
• Useful Arabic phrases (Omniglot)
• Basic Arabic Phrases and Expressions (ArabicPod101)

Kurmanji Kurdish

• Useful Kurmanji Kurdish phrases (Omniglot)
• 1000 Most Common Kurdish Words (1000mostcommonwords)

Turkish

• Turkish Genealogical Word List
• Turkish phrases (Omniglot)

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Modern Standard Arabic

• Arabic Phonology (Wikipedia)
• Modern Standard Arabic Alphabet (Wikipedia)
• Arabic grammar (Wikipedia)
• Arabic Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)
• Arabic Pronunciation Dictionary (Forvo)

Kurmanji Kurdish

• Kurdish phonology (Wikipedia)
• Kurdish grammar (Wikipedia)
• Kurdish alphabets (Wikipedia)
• Kurdish Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)
• Kurdish Grammar (Learn101)

Turkish

• Turkish phonology (Wikipedia)
• Turkish alphabet (Wikipedia)
• Turkish Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Modern Standard Arabic

• Arabic dictionary (Lexilogos)
• English to Arabic Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Learn Arabic (duolingo)

Kurmanji Kurdish

• Kurdish Naming Customs
• Kurdish dictionary (Lexilogos)
• English to Kurdish Kurmanji Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Kurdish (mustgo)
• Ekici, Deniz. Beginning Kurmanji Kurdish. Tucson, Ariz.: University of Arizona Press, 2009. Available at: WorldCat.
• Omarkhali, Khanna. Kurdish reader. n.p.: Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 2011. Available at: WorldCat.

Turkish

• Turkish dictionary (Lexilogos)
• English to Turkish Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Learn Turkish (duolingo)
• Guise, John. The Turkish language explained for English speakers : a treatise on the Turkish language and its grammar for English speakers. Kawerau, New Zealand: John Guise, 2015. Available at: WorldCat.

Additional Resources

• Syria (Britannica)