The Bedouin people stand out in the Middle East with their distinct history, culture and society. This has led to the pubic understanding that they even speak their own language. This, however, is not quite the case.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into what is considered Bedouin language, how it is related to the Arabic language and what the future holds for Bedouin speaking habits. This is our Bedouin language guide.
Key Takeaways
- Bedouin people speak various dialects of Arabic called Bedawi Arabic, which are informal and more concise than Modern Standard Arabic.
- Bedawi Arabic dialects are rooted in Classical Arabic and are considered some of the most original forms of Arabic.
- Besides Arabic, Bedouins may also speak other languages like Hebrew and English, especially in urban or tourist areas.
- Modern changes and government pressures are influencing Bedouin lifestyles and languages, but Bedawi Arabic remains an important part of their identity.
- Key Takeaways
- An Brief Introduction to Bedouin Culture in the Middle East
- What Language do Bedouins Speak?
- Bedawi Arabic and Other Languages Spoken by Bedouins in the Arab World
- The Future of the Bedouin and Their Language in the Middle East
- The Bottom Line
- Frequently Asked Questions
An Brief Introduction to Bedouin Culture in the Middle East
The Bedouin are nomadic Arab peoples historically inhabiting the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East. With a total Bedouin population of up to 25 million, they are known for their strong tribal structure, rich oral poetry, and traditional nomadic lifestyle centered on herding camels, goats, and sheep.
In Jordan, Bedouin communities form a significant part of the population, especially in desert regions east of the Desert Highway. Jordanian Bedouins are traditionally camel breeders and herders, with some practicing semi-nomadic life—moving seasonally while maintaining permanent homes. They play an important role in Jordanian culture and society, often supporting the monarchy and preserving Bedouin traditions amid modern changes.
Owing to their relative isolation from the settled population of their respective homelands and their close-knit social fabrics, Bedouin tribes have always had their own language habits. In modern times, Bedouin tribes have spoken various Bedouin dialects, some of which we analyse in more detail today.
What Language do Bedouins Speak?
While the public discourse regularly references Bedouin languages, there is no such thing as one, clearly defined Bedouin language. Rather than acting as its own language, the Bedouin language is considered a dialect of the Arabic language. In short: The Bedouin people speak Arabic, but with a twist.
Compared to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) the various Bedouin dialects of the Middle East, function as colloquial and informal Arabic dialects that are shaped more so by everyday use and oral tradition rather than literary production and normative doctrine. As a result, Bedouin Arabic is considered a very concise and matter-of-fact dialect with a rougher sound by speakers of Modern Standard Arabic.
Due to its rather loose nature, Bedouin Arabic is not seen as a cohesive language. Instead, it is usually divided into nomadic and semi-nomadic language groups, with differing regional and societal influences inflecting the language on a daily basis.
Past attempts at categorising Bedouin dialects, such as the ones mentioned in this research paper by Hand Albalawi, have focused on geographical subdivisions rather than lingual variation. In addition to their ancestral language, Bedouin communities have also grown accustomed to speak languages other than Arabic.
Bedawi Arabic and Other Languages Spoken by Bedouins in the Arab World
For millennia now, the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East have been known as desert dwellers that stand out with their ability to adapt to a harsh environment. In modern times, Bedouin clans have repeatedly proven their adaptability by means of learning to communicate in ever-changing contexts. These are the languages the Bedouin people speak:
Bedawi Arabic
The most widely spoken language spoken in the Bedouin world are the many Bedouin dialects of the Arabic language, commonly referred to as Bedawi Arabic. Bedawi Arabic is a loose collection of colloquial dialects of Modern Standard Arabic that distinguishes itself from other dialects with its harsher sound and more concise nature.
While today, Bedawi Arabic mostly acts as an unformalised dialect on the fringes of the Modern Standard Arabic language, historical accounts indicate that Bedouin dialects originally served as an informant of Classical Arabic.
This claim is supported by that fact that modern Bedouin words, though very different to their Modern Standard Arabic counterparts, are directly traceable to Classical Arabic, which is illustrated by Marwa Al Kaiem in her thorough introduction into Bedouin Arabic. For this reason, Bedawi Arabic is sometimes referred to as Arabic in its most original state.
To understand some of the difference between Bedouin dialects and Modern Standard Arabic, check out these family words in both dialects:
| Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) | Transliteration | English | Bedouin Arabic | Transliteration |
| أم | umm | mom | يُما | yuma |
| أب | ‘ab | dad | يُبا | yuba |
| أخ | ‘akh | brother | خَي | khay-yi |
| أخت | ‘ukht | sister | خَيتي | khay-ti |
| ابن | ibn | son/child | طَنا | tana |
| بنت | bint | daughter/ child | طَنا | tana |
Source: https://talkinarabic.com/bedouin-arabic/ (last accessed: December 17, 2025)
Note: The Bedouin dialects do not distinguish between female and male children and refers to them collectively as ‘Tana’. Usage of these words may vary regionally.
To learn more about Bedawi Arabic, we highly recommend checking out Al Kaiem’s full-length introduction to Bedawi Arabic.
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
A growing number of Bedouin people speaks Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) additionally to their local Bedouin dialect. This is especially true for those Bedouins living in or close to urban areas, receiving education and/or working there.
As the Bedouin dialects are generally hard to understand for outsiders, MSA serves as a vehicle of communication outside of the Bedouin community. Within Bedouin communities, you will rarely see another language than Bedawi Arabic be spoken.
Besides communication in urban areas and outside of Bedouin communities, MSA plays a major role in Bedouin writing. Traditionally, Bedouin tribes have nurtured rich oral traditions such as Bedouin poetry, but less so written tradition. Therefore, there is no tradition of written Bedawi Arabic.
This lack of written tradition has been filled by MSA, that demands written records in everyday affairs such as legal paperwork, something that, in Bedouin tribes, is substituted by the spoken word to this day. This phenomenon also serves to explain why, to many Arabs, the spoken word is still of such high importance in interpersonal dealings.
Hebrew, English and Other Languages
Besides Bedawi Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic, Bedouin people also speak a host of other languages, often acquired as a second or third language. Bedouin tribes living in the Israeli Negev Desert increasingly speak Hebrew, a result of the continuous assimilation pressure of the Israeli government. Some Bedouin of the Sinai Peninsula also speak Hebrew to cater to Israeli tourists.
Other Bedouin people, especially those living in tourist regions such as Wadi Rum in Jordan, also speak English and other European languages such as French.
Bedouin adults in Wadi Rum often speak a high level of English that they have learnt informally through their occupation as tour guides for foreign tourists. In school, Bedouin children now learn the basics of the English language, which serves as a foundation for later education and work.
The Future of the Bedouin and Their Language in the Middle East
Since the Bedouin tribes’ freedom of movement has been come under more and more restrictions, foreign languages such as English, Hebrew and French have grown in importance in order to make a living one the ever-changing landscape of the Middle East.
Increasing numbers of Bedouin move to urban areas to find more stable living conditions and work. In Israel, this development has been heavily incentivised by the government under the so-called Prayer Plan. A few thousand Bedouin also serve in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), looking to increase the social mobility under the Israeli regime.
In neighbouring Jordan, a majority of the 11.5-million-strong population claims to be of Bedouin descent. The Jordanian capital, Amman, is often referred to as the countries center of Bedouin-descended people. While so outlets claim that up to 40 % of all Jordanians re ethnically Bedouin, Jordan’s King Hussein emphasises that it remains difficult to get reliable numbers.
In many cases, such as Wadi Rum in Southern Jordan, tourism now serves as the main source of income for most of the Bedouin communities. Bedouin tribes offering glimpses into their traditions, culture and homeland find employment in the tourism industry as tour and camel guides or camp hosts, providing crucial income without having to completely abandon their nomadic and tribal traditions.
Even so, Bedouin tribes remain susceptible to uncertainty in their new-found ventures. As recently as 2023, Jordanian Bedouin tourist operators saw their visitor numbers plummet after the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, even though the country of Jordan remained completely safe. This uncertainty along with government repression in other countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia may encourage more Bedouin to move to urban areas.
The Bottom Line
Constant governmental and economic pressures will inevitably continue to change Bedouin societies in the Middle East profoundly. This may also influence the development of the Bedawi Arabic language inching it closer to the speaking habits of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Classical Arabic and other regional languages such as Hebrew.
Often times, Bedouin speakers moving to urban areas drop Bedouin speaking habits in order to be understood more easily by non-Bedouin neighbours. After all, the use of language has become a literal mans of survival for the modern Bedouin.
Nonetheless, Bedouin dialects remain in use privately, not only as a crucial part of Bedouin identity, but also as means of conversing privately even in public settings, as Bedawi Arabic is generally considered as very hard to understand by Modern Standard Arabic speakers.
So, not all hope is lost. For now, we may assume that Bedawi Arabic dialects are not in immediate danger. They will, however, as they have always done, continue to change and adapt to their environments. Ultimately, it seems that the desert dwellers that were once admired for withstanding the harsh conditions of the desert, have found another set of harsh conditions to withstand in the modern world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Bedouin Arabs?
Yes, Bedouins tribes are generally considered as Arabs and often consider themselves as Arabs as well. They do, however, distinguish themselves clearly from sedentary Arabs with their nomadic lifestyle, distinct culture and Bedouin dialects.
Are Bedouin Arabs Palestinians?
Yes, Bedouin tribes living on Palestinian territories mostly consider themselves Arabs. Throughout the past decades, Bedouin Palestinian populations have either been integrated into the State of Palestine or Israel, but remain culturally distinct and Arab in essence.
What’s the hardest dialect of Arabic?
While Bedawi Arabic is fairly hard to learn due to the lack of standardised resoruces, Maghreb Arabic spoken in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia is commonly considered to be the hardest dialect of Arabic. This is due to the distanct character of the dialects and strong influence of the Berber and French languages.
What is the Arabic word for Bedouin?
In the Arabic language, the Bedouin are refereed to as “Bedawi” or “Badawi”. This word literally translates to ‘desert dweller’ a reference to their nomadic lifestyle. This word was later adopted in other languages as “Bedouin”.
Wadi Tribe 