What are the main Arabic dialects?
Whereas MSA is the same throughout the Arab world, the dialects vary according to the geographical location. The further away the countries, the greater the variation between the dialects. In a broad sense there is a wide difference between the dialects of eastern countries (Arabian Peninsula) and dialects of western countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and western Libya). Dialects in the Middle East, may be broadly classified as follows: • Dialects of Egypt and Sudan • Dialects of the Arabian Peninsula • Dialects of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine • Dialects of Iraq • Dialects of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and western Libya Within each category, further sub-classification takes place, depending amongst other factors – on the location, level of education, and degree of urbanization.
