Main languages Mesopotamian Arabic Sign languages Iraqi Sign Language | Main foreign languages English | |
Official languages (Standard) Arabic, Kurdish Regional languages Syriac-Aramaic, Feyli Lurish, Minority languages Neo-Aramaic languages, Armenian, Turkmen, Turkish, Persian, Feyli Lurish | ||
There are a number of languages spoken in Iraq, but Mesopotamian Arabic (Iraqi Arabic) is by far the most widely spoken in the country.
Contents
Map of Iraq
Contemporary languages
Arabic is the majority language, Kurdish is spoken by approximately 15-20% of the population, Turkmen, Neo-Aramaic languages and others by 5%. Other smaller minority languages include Mandaic, Shabaki, Armenian, Feyli Lurish and Persian.
Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, and South Azeri are written with versions of the Arabic script, the Neo-Aramaic languages in the Syriac script and Armenian is written in the Armenian script.
Official languages
Arabic and Kurdish are the official languages, while Assyrian Neo-Aramaic are recognized regional languages. In addition, any region or province may declare other languages official if a majority of the population approves in a general referendum.
History
The language with the longest recorded period of use in Iraq is Aramaic, which has a written tradition dating back for 3200 years or more and survives today in its descendants, the Neo-Aramaic languages.
The earliest recorded languages of Iraq were Sumerian and Akkadian (including ancient Assyrian-Babylonian). Sumerian was displaced by Akkadian by 1700 BCE, and Akkadian was displaced by Aramaic gradually, from 1200 BCE to 100 CE. Sumerian and Akkadian (including all Assyrian and Babylonian dialects) were written in the cuneiform script from 3300 BCE onwards. The latest positively identified Akkadian text comes from the first century CE.