Mesopotamian Arabic has two major varieties:
Gelet and
Qeltu, also called "North Mesopotamian". Their names derive from the form of the word for "I said" in each variety. Gelet Arabic is a
Bedouin variety spoken by Muslims (both sedentary and non-sedentary) in central and
Lower Mesopotamia and by nomads in the rest of Iraq. Qeltu Arabic is an urban dialect spoken by non-Muslims in this same region, including
Baghdad, and by the sedentary population (both Muslims and non-Muslims) in
Upper Mesopotamia. Non-Muslims include
Christians,
Yazidis, and
Jews, until most Iraqi Jews
were exiled from Iraq in the 1940s–1950s. Geographically, the gelet–qeltu classification roughly corresponds to respectively
Upper Mesopotamia and
Lower Mesopotamia. The exception is urban non-Muslims, who continue to speak pre-1258 Qeltu dialects. In contrast, in the north, Qeltu Arabic is widely spoken by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Dialects Gelet dialects include: •
Gilit Mesopotamian Arabic • Northwestern Mesopotamian group •
Shāwi dialects (including
Urfa and
Raqqah) • Rural dialects of northern and central Iraq. • Central Iraqi Group •
Baghdadi Arabic • The surrounding area around Baghdad • Southern Iraqi and
Khuzestani Arabic group • Urban dialects • Rural dialects •
South Mesopotamian Arabic of the
Marsh Arabs of the
Mesopotamian Marshes Qeltu dialects include: Other Arabic speakers cannot easily understand Moslawi and Baghdadi. As you travel south from Mosul, the dialect begins to shift toward a Bedouin-influenced variety, especially in towns like
Baiji, Sharqat,
al-Alam, and al-Duluiya in
Saladin Governorate. However, in
Tikrit and
al-Dour, the dialect remains closer to the Moslawi variety.
Baghdadi Dialect In central Iraq, areas like
Diyala Governorate,
Balad, and
Dujail have dialects that are similar to Baghdadi Arabic, though with more Bedouin influence. Baghdadi Arabic is renowned for its simplicity, slow pace, and clarity, making it one of the varieties of Arabic that is closest to classical Arabic. The
Hilla variety, spoken in
Babylon Governorate, is also quite similar to the Baghdadi dialect. The
Anbari dialect spoken in western Iraq, particularly in cities like
Ramadi and
Fallujah, is a blend of Baghdadi and Bedouin speech. It features many old Bedouin expressions and is generally considered clear and light.
Gelet Dialects The Najafi dialect is closer to rural speech, often involving vowel shifts at the beginning of verbs. Najafi speakers also use the word , which means “then” or “so.” This word originates from the
Eastern Aramaic word “ka,” which has the same meaning and function, especially before verbs. As one moves further south, the beloved rural Iraqi dialect becomes more prominent. Most poets of colloquial Iraqi Arabic hail from the southern countryside, where Iraqis are widely familiar with the dialect. This dialect is similar to the Najafi one but also includes many words with classical, eloquent roots. For this reason, rural poets are often more expressive than their urban counterparts, and their voices are considered more stirring and powerful when reciting poetry. The rural dialect is characterized by its simplicity and speed, though city dwellers may find some words hard to understand. The
Basrawi dialect is the Iraqi dialect most closely related to the
Gulf dialect. It differs markedly from the southern rural dialect and is a mix of urban and Bedouin Gulf dialects, with additional influences from Persian, English, and Turkish. It also carries elements of the southern rural dialect. The Basrawi dialect is widely spoken in
Basra, especially among families from old Basra, as well as in areas like
Zubair,
Abu Al-Khaseeb,
Safwan,
Umm Qasr, and parts of
Nasiriyah. However, this dialect has been gradually declining due to heavy rural migration into cities during the mid-20th century, leading to a blending with southern rural dialects. == Substrate ==