Modern South Arabian Languages map (Yemen & Oman).
by
u/aden_khor
- Mehri: the largest Modern South Arabian language, with over 165,000 speakers.
- Soqotri:
another relatively numerous example, with speakers on the island of
Socotra isolated from the pressures of Arabic on the Yemeni mainland. In
2015, there were around 70,000 speakers. - Shehri:
frequently called Jibbali, “of the Mountains”, with an estimated 25,000
speakers; it is best known as the language of the rebels during the
Dhofar Rebellion in Oman’s Dhofar Governorate along the border with
Yemen in the 1960s and 1970s. - Bathari:
Under 100 speakers in Oman. Located on the southeast coast facing the
Khuriya Muriya Islands. Very similar to Mehri, and some tribespeople
speak Mehri instead of Bathari. - Harsusi: 600 speakers in the Jiddat al-Harasis of Oman.
- Hobyót: 100 speakers est., in Oman and Yemen.
The
map is slightly tilted, please don’t feel dizzy. The map also represent
the proximal area; many inhabitants of such region are bedouins who
travel through the regions and even extend to neighboring Saudi Arabia
thus the map is to be interpreted as a “range” rather than a fixed
place.