Palestinian Arabic

Palestinian Arabic (also known as simply Palestinian) is part of a <a href="/facts/Dialect_continuum/0QAuqxp3">dialect continuum</a> comprising various mutually intelligible varieties of <a href="/facts/Levantine_Arabic/gc27DKK3">Levantine Arabic</a> spoken by <a href="/facts/Palestinians/DBnkAQ5l">Palestinians</a> in <a href="/facts/Palestine_(region)/HxMSPazK">Palestine</a>, which includes the <a href="/facts/State_of_Palestine/WWcc0vRx">State of Palestine</a>, <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">Israel</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Palestinian_diaspora/SsGsL34w">Palestinian diaspora</a>.
The Arabic dialects spoken in the region of Palestine and Transjordan do not form a homogeneous linguistic unit; rather, they encompass a diverse range of dialects influenced by geographical, historical, and socioeconomic factors. Comparative studies of Arabic dialects indicate that Palestinian Arabic is among the closest dialects to <a href="/facts/Modern_Standard_Arabic/rXAjtFSs">Modern Standard Arabic</a>, particularly the dialect spoken in the <a href="/facts/Gaza_Strip/GodcCxlV">Gaza Strip</a>. Additional distinctions can be made within Palestinian Arabic, such as the dialects spoken in the northern <a href="/facts/West_Bank/xzTTVNJl">West Bank</a> and the <a href="/facts/Hebron/FlKSDvJS">Hebron</a> area, which exhibit similarities to those spoken by descendants of <a href="/facts/Palestinian_refugees/Qb8fAsRg">Palestinian refugees</a>.
Palestinian Arabic dialects reflect a historical layering of languages previously spoken in the region, including <a href="/facts/Canaanite_languages/S0NzB50W">Canaanite</a>, <a href="/facts/Ancient_Hebrew_language/TT7DcCPA">Ancient Hebrew</a> (both <a href="/facts/Biblical_Hebrew/yCJ3bh30">Biblical</a> and <a href="/facts/Mishnaic_Hebrew/dTgouv1v">Mishnaic</a>), <a href="/facts/Aramaic/FpvKez1w">Aramaic</a> (especially <a href="/facts/Western_Aramaic_languages/P9GW8Fxf">Western Aramaic</a>), <a href="/facts/Persian_language/jfUYbHbt">Persian</a>, <a href="/facts/Greek_language/pzDd6eIz">Greek</a>, and <a href="/facts/Latin/pM3Kge85">Latin</a>. Furthermore, during the early modern period, these dialects were influenced by <a href="/facts/Turkish_language/C5X56Ijp">Turkish</a> and various <a href="/facts/European_languages/gYLR8qFS">European languages</a>. Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, Palestinian Arabic has also been shaped by <a href="/facts/Modern_Hebrew/xIj94mYw">Modern Hebrew</a> influences.

Palestinian Arabic open-in-new

Palestinian Arabic