| Languages of Libya | |
|---|---|
 Arabic sign at the grave of SahabiRuwaifa Al-Ansari | |
| Official | Standard Arabic |
| Vernacular | Libyan Arabic, othervarieties of Arabic |
| Minority | variousBerber languages,Domari,Tedaga,Turkish,Greek |
| Foreign | Italian,English,French |
| Signed | Libyan Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
The official language ofLibya isModern Standard Arabic. Most residents speak one of thevarieties of Arabic as a first language, most prominentlyLibyan Arabic, but alsoEgyptian Arabic andTunisian Arabic.
The official language of Libya isArabic.[1] The local Libyan Arabic variety is the common spoken vernacular.
Berber
VariousBerber languages are also spoken, includingTamahaq,Ghadamès,Nafusi,Zuwara,Yefren,Fezzan,[2]Kufra andAwjilah.[3] Both Berber and Arabic languages belong to the widerAfroasiatic family.
The most significant berber speaking group, the Nafusi, is concentrated in theTripolitanian region.[4] Berber languages are also spoken in some cases, including Ghadamès, Awjilah, and formerlySawknah. Tamahaq is spoken by theTuareg people.
Libya's former Head of StateMuammar Gaddafi denied the existence of Berbers as a separate ethnicity, and called Berbers a "product of colonialism" created by the West to divide Libya. The Berber language was not recognized or taught in schools, and for years it was forbidden in Libya to give children Berber names.[5][6]
During theFirst Libyan Civil War, theNational Transitional Council broadcast in Tamazight for two hours a day.[7]
Domari
TheDomari, anIndo-Iranian language spoken by theDom people (ca. 33,000 speakers).
Tedega
Tedaga, aSaharan language is spoken by the previously nomadicTeda people. The exact number of Teda is unknown.[8]
Turkish
A minority of Turkish speakers can be found in Libya, most of them belonging to theKouloughli ethnicity that inhabit cities like Tripoli, Benghazi, and Misrata.
Greek
TheGreek language is spoken by an unknown number of speakers inCyrenaica by some of the descendants ofGreek Muslims (locally called Gritlis) who settled in the region at the end of the 19th century.
Coptic
The Coptic language is spoken as a Liturgical Language by theCoptic community in Libya.
Italian was introduced during theperiod of Italian colonization and remains spoken in theItalian Libyan community. As the main language of government, education, and commerce during the colonial period, it retained some influence after independence, chiefly in urban areas. However, the language drastically diminished with the rise of Muammar Gaddafi and the1970 expulsion of Italians from Libya. Since then, Italian has been mostly spoken by a small number of educated elderly populations and those involved in business with Italy. In the 2020s, the language was re-introduced into the public school curriculum as an elective language as part of efforts to offer more language options for Libyan students and foster stronger bilateral ties in trade, politics, and cultural exchange with Italy.[9][10]
English is a notable foreign language in business and for economical purposes and also spoken by the young generation. English and Italian are used in commerce, due to the large influx of foreigners.[11]
After theLibyan Civil War and the help coming fromFrance, theFrench language gained popularity among the younger generations. French authorities expressed their interest to encourage the teaching of French in Libya.[12]
