| Judeo-Yemeni Arabic | |
|---|---|
| Yemenite Judeo-Arabic | |
| Native to | Israel, Yemen |
| Ethnicity | Yemenite Jews |
Native speakers | 38,000 (2010–2018)[1] |
Afro-Asiatic
| |
| Hebrew alphabet | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | jye |
| Glottolog | jude1267 |
| ELP | Judeo-Yemeni Arabic |
Judeo-Yemeni Arabic (also known as Judeo-Yemeni and Yemenite Judeo-Arabic) is a variety of Arabic spoken by Jews living or formerly living in Yemen. The language is quite different from mainstream Yemeni Arabic,[citation needed] and is written in the Hebrew alphabet. The cities of Sana'a, Aden, al-Bayda, and Habban District and the villages in their districts each have (or had) their own dialect.[2]
The vast majority of Yemenite Jews have relocated to Israel and have shifted to Modern Hebrew as their first language. In 1995, Israel was home to 50,000 speakers of Judeo-Yemeni in 1995, while 1,000 remained in Yemen.[2] According to Yemeni rabbi al-Marhabi, most of these have since left for the United States. In 2010, fewer than 300 Jews were believed to remain in Yemen.[3] As of 2022[update], only one Jew is believed to remain in Yemen.[4]
- ^ Judeo-Yemeni Arabic at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ a b Judeo-Yemeni Arabic at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Berer, Josh (2010-01-06). "Caught in Strife, Yemen's Jews Cling Fiercely to Their Ancient Heritage". Forward. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^ "History of the Jews of Yemen". May 10, 2022.
