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Yemen languages refer mainly to the languages spoken in Yemen. Although Arabic is the national language of the nation, a wide variety of South Semitic group of languages is also spoken by the Yemeni people. Yemen languages are quite varied and rich in tradition and culture.
Most people of the Socotra Island and along the coastal regions of Hadhramut speak the modern South Arabian group of languages. Among these south Semitic groups of languages spoken by the natives, the most common ones are Mehri, Soqotri and Bathari. These languages were mainly spoken by the people of the southern Arabian Peninsula, before Arabic language and the Islamic religion spread in the 7th century A.D. in Yemen. These languages do not have much of a written or printed version and are more verbally spoken by people of the region. These languages are facing the danger of extinction as other popular languages are gaining popularity in the region.
Apart from these native languages, foreign languages like English and French are now being taught mainly at the private schools. But Yemen has lesser number of people speaking these foreign languages in comparison to other Arabian countries like Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and UAE. However, the scenario is soon expected to change and Yemeni people would soon be using a wide variety of languages in Yemen.
In order to know more about Yemen Languages check the following sections:
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