Differences From Standard Arabic
Lebanese Arabic (also sometimes referred to as the "Lebanese language") shares many features with other so-called modern varieties of Arabic. Lebanese, like many other spoken Levantine varieties, exhibits a very different syllable structure from Modern Standard Arabic. While Standard Arabic can have only one consonant at the beginning of a syllable, after which a vowel must follow, Lebanese commonly has two consonants in the onset.
- Syntax: simpler, without any mood and case markings.
- Number: verbal agreement regarding number and gender is required for all subjects, whether already mentioned or not.
- Gender: plural inanimate nouns are treated as feminine.
- Vocabulary: significant borrowings from other languages, most prominently Ottoman Turkish, Greek, and French, as well as, less significantly, Armenian, English, and Persian.
Read more about this topic: Lebanese Arabic
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