Omani Arabic


Omani Arabic is a variety of Arabic spoken in the Al Hajar Mountains of Oman and the UAE and in a few neighboring coastal regions. It is the easternmost traditional Arabic dialect. It was formerly spoken by colonists in Kenya and Tanzania, but these days, it mainly remains spoken on the island of Zanzibar.
It is also spoken in parts of East Africa, especially in Zanzibar, due to Oman’s historical presence there. Omani Arabic is considered a variety of Gulf Arabic but includes unique features in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar that set it apart from other regional dialects. It varies between rural and urban speakers, and across different regions of Oman. The dialect is used mainly in informal settings, while Modern Standard Arabic is used in schools, media, and official contexts.

Phonology

Consonants

Omani Arabic has some unique sounds that are different from other Arabic dialects. For example, the letter "qāf" is often pronounced as a "g" sound. In some regions, older Arabic sounds have been preserved, while in others, changes have occurred due to outside influences. The way people speak can often show where they are from or what social group they belong to.
  • Velar fricatives can be heard as uvular sounds, in the Muscat dialect.
  • can also be heard as palatalized sounds among the Muscat dialect.
  • can be heard as an allophone of, but is rarely phonemic.
  • As for most dialects, Standard Arabic is replaced with the velar stop , while is available in some Omani dialects, mainly Bedouin.
  • The speakers of Muscat, Salalah and some Batina varieties, as well as other sedentary dialect speakers, pronounce as, while the Bedouin dialect speakers pronounce as. and this variable has been a hallmark for distinguishing Bedouin and Hadari Arabs for centuries.

Vowels

  • can be heard as when preceding or any non-emphatic consonant. It is heard as back after emphatic sounds, and can then be heard as when shortened. Its long equivalent, is heard as after emphatic sounds.
  • can be heard as in medial position and as in shortened positions.
  • Sounds are often realized as near-close back sounds. can sometimes be heard as or after emphatics.

Sociolinguistic Use

Omani Arabic is mainly used in everyday conversation. It is not used for writing in schools or formal settings, where Modern Standard Arabic is preferred. In Zanzibar, older generations still speak the dialect, although Swahili is more common now. The dialect is a key part of national and cultural identity, especially in poetry and oral traditions.