The language was brought to Cyprus by waves of Arab Christians fleeing persecution by invading Arab Muslim fighters in what is now Syria, Lebanon and Israel, starting as early as the 8th century.

The language was brought to Cyprus by waves of Arab Christians fleeing persecution by invading Arab Muslim fighters in what is now Syria, Lebanon and Israel, starting as early as the 8th century.

One Indigenous language dies every two weeks, the United Nations estimates, diminishing the tapestry of human knowledge one strand at a time. But the 7,500-strong Maronite community in Cyprus is ...

Police said Temple, Wall, College and Elm streets in the area of the library were closed because of the threat. But the 7,500-strong Maronite community in Cyprus is pushing back.

Only 900 speakers of the Sanna language remain. Now Cyprus' Maronites are mounting a comeback By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS , Associated Press Updated May 24, 2025 10:13 a.m.

Only 900 speakers of the Sanna language remain. Now Cyprus' Maronites are mounting a comeback Published Friday, May 23, 2025 | 10:03 p.m. Updated Saturday, May 24, 2025 | 7:10 a.m.

Only about 900 people in the world speak Cypriot Maronite Arabic. The offshoot of Syrian Arabic also known as Sanna, had been passed on orally over the centuries. Now it is at risk of extinction.

The fact that we speak a kind of Arabic over so many centuries makes it clear that we descend from areas of Syria and Lebanon." Roots in Syria and Lebanon. The language was brought to Cyprus by waves ...