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Where are Semitic languages spoken?
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Semitic languages
Distribution of the Semitic languages.
Members of the Semitic language family are primarily spoken throughout North Africa and Southwest Asia, playing a central role in the linguistic and cultural landscape of the Middle East for over 4,000 years.1
The most widely spoken Semitic language is Arabic, which is used across a vast region stretching from the Atlantic coast of North Africa to western Iran. Other contemporary Semitic languages include:2
- Hebrew: Spoken by millions in the State of Israel.2
- Maltese: The national language of Malta.2
- Ethiopic languages: Including Amharic, Tigrinya, and Tigré, which are spoken in Ethiopia.2
- Aramaic dialects: Found in parts of Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.2
- Modern South Arabian languages: Spoken along the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent islands.2
These languages serve as official administrative languages in numerous nations across the Middle East and North Africa.2