Langues de France
Languages of France
See language map.
[See also SIL publications on the languages of France.]
French Republic, République Française. National or official language: French (FRN, France). 58,683,000 (1998 UN). Literacy rate 99% (1991 WA).Also includes Adyghe (ADY, Russia), Algerian Spoken Arabic (ARQ, Algeria) 660,000, Judeo-Moroccan Arabic (AJU, Israel), Judeo-Tunisian Arabic (AJT, Israel), Moroccan Spoken Arabic (ARY, Morocco) 492,700, Tunisian Spoken Arabic (AEB, Tunisia) 212,900, Armenian (ARM, Armenia) 70,000, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (AII, Iraq), Brao (BRB, Laos) 5, Western Cham (CJA, Cambodia) 1,000, Chru (CJE, Vietnam) 1, Western Farsi (PRS, Afghanistan) 40,000, Standard German (GER, Germany), Hmong Daw (MWW, China) 10,000, Iu Mien (IUM Chine, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam) 700, Kabuverdianu (KEA, Cape Verde) 8,000, Kabyle (KYL, Algeria) 537,000, Central Khmer (KMR, Cambodia) 50,000, Khmu (KJG, Laos) 500, Kirmanjki (KQV, Turquie), Kurmanji (KUR, Turquie), Laz (LAZ, Papua New Guinea), Lesser Antillean Creole French (DOM, St Lucia) 150,000, Mandjak (MFV, Guinea-Bissau), Nhang (NHA, Vietnam) 100, Tachelhit (SHI, Algeria, Morocco), Tai Dam (BLT, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam) 1,000, Tai Don, Tai Nüa, Central Atlas Tamazight (TZM, Algeria, Morocco) 150,000, Tarifit (RIF, Algeria, Morocco), Tay (THO, Vietnam), Turkish (TRK, Turkey) 135,000, Vietnamese (VIE, Vietnam) 10,000, Wolof (WOF, Gambia, WOl, Senegal) 34,500, Yeniche (YEN, Germany), Western Yiddish (YIH, Germany).
Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; P. Blanchet 1986; B. Comrie 1987. Christian, secular, Muslim, Jewish. Blind population 43,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population 3,506,839. Deaf institutions: 99. Data accuracy estimate: A2, B. The number of languages listed for France is 32. Of those, 29 are living languages, 1 is a second language without mother tongue speakers, and 2 are extinct. Diversity index 0.24.
Afrique Equatoriale Française AEF : 1 Gabon Libreville, 2 Moyen-Congo (actuel Congo Brazzaville), 3 Oubangui-Chiari (actuel République Centrafricaine Bangui), 4 Tchad N'Djamena (Fort Lamy)
Afrique Occidentale Française AOF : 1 Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan Yamoussoukro, 2 Dahomey (actuel Bénin Porto Nuovo), 3 Guinée Conakry, 4 Haute-Volta (actuel Burkina Faso Ouagadougou), 5 Mauritanie Nouakchott, 6 Niger Niamey, 7 Sénégal Dakar, 8 Soudan français (actuel Mali Bamako),
Chandernagor (West Bengal), Karikal (Tamil Nadu), Mahé (Kérala), Pondichéry (Tamil Nadu), Yanaon (Andhra Pradesh)