# Languages of Palestine

The primary language of Palestine is Arabic.

## Overview

Palestinian Arabic is the main language spoken by Palestinians and represents a unique dialect. A variety of Levantine Arabic, it is spoken by Palestinian populations in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel (Palestinian citizens of Israel). However, some Palestinian refugees in other parts of the world may speak a different dialect from Palestinian Arabic. In the West Bank, there are many Israeli settlements in which, since the early 20th century, Hebrew has become more common. Palestinian citizens of Israel are also likely to be bilingual in both Arabic and Hebrew. Russian and Amharic have also started to appear as a result of Aliyah from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, as have other European languages brought by Jewish settlers.
Armenian is also a significant minority language in Palestine, as Armenians have inhabited in the region since the 4th century AD, considered to be the oldest Armenian community outside of Armenia. Around 2,000-3,000 Armenians lived in Palestine circa World War I, with the population peaking at over 10,000 prior to the 1948 war. The majority of Armenians in Palestine reside in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem, but historically have lived in Haifa and Jaffa. Currently, the Jerusalem-Armenian population has declined, reducing the amount of Armenian speakers in the enclave and greater region.
In ancient and medieval times, many other languages had also been spoken in Palestine for ceremonial purposes or otherwise, including Latin and other Italic languages, French, Germanic languages, Classical Arabic and Greek. However, they gradually faded away along with geopolitical shifts and the end of feudalism.

## Census of 1922

The following graph is a recreation of details in the Report and General Abstracts of the Census of 1922. Find the original in Table XXI.
| | Jerusalem | Jaffa | Haifa | Gaza | Hebron | Nablus | Safad | Lydda | Nazareth | Ramleh | Tiberias | Bethlehem | Acre | Majdal | Khan Yunis | Tulkarem | Ramallah | Beit Jala | Jenin | Be'erseba | Shafa Amr | Baisan | Total |
| Abyssinian | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 74 |
| Arabic | 22,307 | 26,626 | 16,733 | 17,395 | 16,134 | 15,784 | 5,753 | 8,072 | 7,035 | 7,235 | 2,570 | 6,062 | 6,199 | 5,096 | 3,888 | 3,272 | 3,056 | 3,051 | 2,308 | 2,230 | 2,281 | 1,917 | 185,009 |
| Armenian | 2,442 | 216 | 101 | 4 | — | 13 | 1 | — | 20 | 13 | 1 | 37 | 25 | — | — | 4 | 21 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | 2,906 |
| Albanian | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
| Bulgarian | 29 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 |
| Circassian | 3 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 15 |
| Chaldean | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Dutch | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 7 |
| English | 986 | 189 | 276 | 16 | 7 | — | 20 | — | 135 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 10 | — | — | 15 | 15 | — | 46 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 1,799 |
| Flemish | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| French | 261 | 70 | 123 | 2 | 1 | 120 | — | — | 72 | 2 | 6 | 46 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | 715 |
| German | 281 | 270 | 561 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 42 | — | 15 | 8 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1,196 |
| Greek | 760 | 161 | 205 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 1 | 29 | 11 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 | — | — | 1,230 |
| Georgian | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
| Gipsy | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 7 |
| Hebrew | 32,341 | 19,498 | 5,683 | 44 | 425 | 15 | 2,937 | 6 | 43 | 27 | 4,280 | — | 13 | — | — | 21 | 7 | — | 2 | 86 | — | — | 65,447 |
| Hindustani | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | — | — | — | 72 |
| Indian Dialects | 769 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 770 |
| Italian | 209 | 22 | 88 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 12 | — | 5 | 51 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | 11 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 405 |
| Japanese | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Jhurkhali | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | 5 |
| Kurdish | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | 10 |
| Magyar | 55 | 21 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 46 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 130 |
| Mahratti | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 176 | — | — | — | 176 |
| Maltese | 4 | 2 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 33 |
| Norwegian | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Persian | 122 | 44 | 156 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 101 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 426 |
| Polish | 10 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 48 |
| Portuguese | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Pushtu | 4 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | 35 |
| Romanian | 36 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 44 |
| Russian | 407 | 63 | 74 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 8 | — | 5 | — | 1 | 571 |
| Serbian | 13 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 |
| Sudanese | 35 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 |
| Spanish | 174 | 49 | 39 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | 314 |
| Swedish | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 |
| Syriac | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 369 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 408 |
| Turkish | 198 | 74 | 194 | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | 16 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 13 | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | 4 | 562 |
| Welsh | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| Yiddish | 999 | 356 | 332 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 1,759 |