Omani Arabic (; also known as Omani Hadari Arabic) is a
variety of
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
spoken in the
Al Hajar Mountains of
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
and in a few neighboring coastal regions. It is the easternmost traditional Arabic dialect. It was formerly spoken by colonists in
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
and
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, but these days, it mainly remains spoken on the island of
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
.
It is also spoken in parts of East Africa, especially in Zanzibar, due to Oman’s historical presence there. Omani Arabic is considered a variety of Gulf Arabic but includes unique features in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar that set it apart from other regional dialects. It varies between rural and urban speakers, and across different regions of Oman. The dialect is used mainly in informal settings, while Modern Standard Arabic is used in schools, media, and official contexts.
Phonology
Consonants
Omani Arabic has some unique sounds that are different from other Arabic dialects. For example, the letter "qāf" (ق) is often pronounced as a "g" sound. In some regions, older Arabic sounds have been preserved, while in others, changes have occurred due to outside influences. The way people speak can often show where they are from or what social group they belong to.
* Velar fricatives can be heard as uvular sounds , in the Muscat dialect.
* can also be heard as palatalized sounds among the Muscat dialect.
* can be heard as an allophone of , but is rarely phonemic.
* As for most
manidialects, Standard Arabic is replaced with the velar stop , while is available in some Omani dialects, mainly Bedouin.
* The speakers of
Muscat,
Salalah and some
Batina varieties (e.g. the center of
Sohar city), as well as other sedentary dialect speakers, pronounce as , while the Bedouin dialect speakers pronounce as . and this variable has been a hallmark for distinguishing Bedouin and Hadari (urban) Arabs for centuries.
Vowels
* can be heard as when preceding or any non-emphatic consonant. It is heard as back after emphatic sounds, and can then be heard as when shortened. Its long equivalent , is heard as after emphatic sounds.
* can be heard as in medial position and as in shortened positions.
*Sounds are often realized as near-close back sounds . can sometimes be heard as or after emphatics.
Sociolinguistic Use
Omani Arabic is mainly used in everyday conversation. It is not used for writing in schools or formal settings, where Modern Standard Arabic is preferred. In Zanzibar, older generations still speak the dialect, although Swahili is more common now. The dialect is a key part of national and cultural identity, especially in poetry and oral traditions.
See also
*
Varieties of Arabic
Varieties of Arabic (or dialects or vernaculars) are the linguistic systems that Arabic speakers speak natively. Arabic is a Semitic languages, Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic family that originated in the Arabian P ...
*
Peninsular Arabic
Peninsular Arabic are the varieties of Arabic spoken throughout the Arabian Peninsula. This includes the countries of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Southern Iran, South Iraq, Southern Iraq and Jordan.
...
References
Mashriqi Arabic
Peninsular Arabic
Languages of Oman
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