Arabic is the official language of Libya, with several varieties of the language spoken throughout the country. There are also several minority languages spoken inside the country, including Berber, Domari, and Tedaga. There are also some foreign languages spoken in Libya, such as Italian, English, and French, among the more popular ones.
The official language of Libya is Arabic, particularly the common spoken vernacular, the Libyan Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is used in most formal occasions, however. Libyan Arabic branches out into two major dialects, the eastern dialect and the western dialect. Apart from the Libyan variety, Egyptian as well as Tunisian Arabic are spoken spoken in certain parts of the country.
The minority languages spoken across Libya include Berber, Domari, and Tedaga. There are several Berber languages which are spoken in Libya, such as Awjilah, Nafusi, Tamasheq, and Ghadamès, to name a few. In the past, the Berber languages were not recognized by the government of the country and they were not taught in schools, largely due to the policies of the former head of the country Muammar Gaddafi, who was completely against the use of Berber languages in the country, considering it as a “product of colonialism” dividing Libya. Even the naming of children in Berber was strictly forbidden in the country for a whole year. As a result of the recent uprisings in Libya, however, the Berber languages have been acquiring more acceptance in the country.
Next is the Domari language, which is spoken by the Dom people of Libya. The Domari language belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and is spoken in several countries of the Middle East and North Africa. The Domari language is mainly spoken by the older generations of the Dom people in Libya, giving it the status of an endangered language.
The Tedaga language of the Nilo-Saharan group is spoken by the Teda people of Libya. They are mainly found in regions of southern Libya. Apart from southern Libya, the Tedaga language is also spoken in parts of eastern Niger and northern Chad.
Foreign languages spoken in Libya include Italian, English, and French. Of these three languages, Italian is the most popular foreign language spoken in Libya, and the most widely spoken second language. Italian serves as the lingua franca and as the language of commerce for Libyans to communicate with tourists and foreigners. The Italian Libyan community also speaks Italian inside the country. Apart from Italian, English is also another influential foreign language spoken in Libya, particularly popular among the younger generations. There is also a number of Libyans who received their education in the Western European nations and who are fluent in English. French became popular in Libya when France started helping Libya to recover from the intense Libyan Civil War which severely impacted life in the country. French is also popular among the younger generations, much like English.
The use of French in Libya became popular since the time France started helping Libya to recover following the intense Libyan Civil War that heavily impacted life in the country. Like English, the language is also popular among the younger generation of Libyans.
