Levantine

Levantine refers to the Levant, a historical and geographic region along the eastern Mediterranean. The term can describe the area’s geography as well as its peoples, cultures, and languages. In modern usage it commonly denotes Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories, with Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey sometimes included because of historic or cultural ties.

Levantine Arabic is the group of dialects spoken in the Levant, including communities in Damascus, Aleppo, Beirut, Amman, Jerusalem, and surrounding areas. While mutually intelligible with other Arabic dialects, Levantine varieties differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar from Gulf, Egyptian, or Maghrebi dialects. Modern Standard Arabic remains the formal written standard across the Arab world, while Levantine dialects are used in daily speech, media, and popular culture.

The Levant has a long history as a crossroads of civilizations, with influences from ancient Phoenician trade networks, Greek and Roman rule, Byzantine governance, successive Islamic caliphates, Crusader principalities, and Ottoman administration. The region has long hosted diverse religious and ethnic communities, including Muslims, Christians, Jews, Armenians, and others, contributing to a rich literary, artistic, and culinary heritage. Contemporary Levantine culture blends urban centers with rural traditions across national borders, reflecting both shared regional patterns and local differences.

Because the Levant is a geographic region rather than a unified political entity, “Levantine” is primarily a cultural or linguistic label rather than a national identity. In academic and sociolinguistic contexts it often refers to features of Levantine Arabic and the region’s customary practices, while acknowledging substantial local variation.