Languages of Egypt
Arabic came to Egypt in the 7th century, and Egyptian Arabic has become the modern spoken language of the Egyptians, is understood by almost all Egyptians and is based on Egyptian Coptic grammar. In southern Egypt, Saidi Arabic is the main spoken language for most non-urbanized people. Of the many varieties of Arabic, Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood first dialect in the Middle East-North Africa, probably due to the influence of Egyptian cinema throughout the Arabic-speaking world.
Languages of Egypt
Egypt was occupied by the British from 1882 until 1952 leading to a widespread use of English in the country. Most educated people in Egypt study English at school. Nowadays, the majority of the road signs in Egypt are written both in Arabic and English. In addition, many English words have started being used by Egyptians during the everyday life. English has a crucial position in Egypt: Banknotes and Coins are written in English and Arabic. In Egypt there is also the BUE (British University in Egypt), the FUE (Future University in Egypt) and the AUC (American University in Cairo), where lessons are given in English.