While Arabic is the most spoken language in Africa, there’s plenty more – other popular languages include Amharic, Berber, Portuguese, Oromo, Igbo, Yoruba, Zulu and Shona.
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What is the official language of Africa?
English is the most widely spoken language across the African continent, followed by French, Portuguese, and even Spanish. English is not only the official language of many countries in Africa; it’s also the principal language of education in many others, and a lingua franca otherwise.
What is the main language family in Africa?
Afroasiatic
Most languages spoken in Africa belong to one of three large language families: Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Niger–Congo.
Is English a main language in Africa?
A bilingual sign in North Africa. English is the second most spoken language in the world after the Chinese language. It is spoken by 372 million native and about a billion non-native speakers.
English Speaking Countries in Africa.
| Rank | Country | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Namibia | 2,074,000 |
| 19 | Lesotho | 2,008,000 |
| 20 | Botswana | 1,882,000 |
| 21 | The Gambia | 1,709,000 |
Is Italian spoken in Africa?
How Many People In Africa Speak Italian? There are at least some Italian speakers, or at least people who understand the language, in Africa. They are found primarily in the former colonies of Italian Libya (now just Libya) and Italian East Africa (now part of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia).
Why is French spoken in Africa?
The French language was brought to the African continent through colonialism. During the 1950s and 60s, France and Belgium lost control of their African colonies, however, French is still spoken in at least 29 African countries.
What are 3 languages spoken in Africa?
Top 10 Most Popular African Languages
- SWAHILI. The most spoken language in Africa is Swahili which is said to have between 100 and 150 million speakers.
- AMHARIC. Amharic is one of the main languages spoken in Ethiopia by over 20 million speakers.
- YORUBA.
- OROMO.
- Hausa.
- IGBO.
- ZULU.
- SHONA.
Do they speak French in Africa?
French remains the sole official language in 11 African countries, and the second official language in 10.
How many written African languages are there?
Africa is a continent with a very high linguistic diversity, there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languages.
Is Arabic spoken in Nigeria?
The official language of Nigeria is English, the language of former colonial British Nigeria. As reported in 2003, Nigerian English and Nigerian Pidgin were spoken as a second language by 100 million people in Nigeria.
Selected languages.
| Language | Total speakers (millions) |
|---|---|
| Arabic | 1 |
| Igala | 1 |
| French | 1 |
| Idoma | 0.8 |
Is Zulu a written language?
Zulu, like most indigenous Southern African languages, was not a written language until the arrival of missionaries from Europe, who documented the language using the Latin script. The first grammar book of the Zulu language was published in Norway in 1850 by the Norwegian missionary Hans Schreuder.
Where is French spoken in Africa?
French
| Regions | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | Dem. Rep. Congo | official |
| Congo | official | |
| Ivory Coast | official | |
| Djibouti | co-official with Arabic |
Is Dalmatian still spoken?
Dalmatian (/dælˈmeɪʃən/) or Dalmatic (/dælˈmætɪk/; Dalmatian: langa dalmata or simply dalmato; Italian: lingua dalmatica, dalmatico; Croatian: dalmatski) is an extinct Romance language that was spoken in the Dalmatia region of present-day Croatia, and as far south as Kotor in Montenegro.
Dalmatian language.
| Dalmatian | |
|---|---|
| Linguasphere | 51-AAA-t |
What’s the most spoken language in the world?
The most spoken languages in the world
- English (1.132 million speakers) Native speakers: 379 million.
- Mandarin (1.117 million speakers)
- Hindi (615 million speakers)
- Spanish (534 million speakers)
- French (280 million speakers)
- Arabic (274 million speakers)
- Bengali (265 million speakers)
- Russian (258 million speakers)
What is the most widely spoken language in Africa?
While Arabic is the most spoken language in Africa, there’s plenty more – other popular languages include Amharic, Berber, Portuguese, Oromo, Igbo, Yoruba, Zulu and Shona.
Is Spanish spoken in Africa?
Did you know Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish speaking country in Africa? With plenty of history, this country has amazed the world thanks to its resilience and resourcefulness. Today, you’ll learn about the history of Equatorial Guinea and how it turned out to be the only Spanish speaking country in Africa.
Does Egypt speak French?
Most educated Egyptians are fluent in English or French or both, in addition to Arabic. There are also other minor linguistic groups. The Beja of the southern section of the Eastern Desert use an Afro-Asiatic language of the Cushitic branch known as To Bedawi (though some speak Tigre and many use Arabic).
Why does Africa speak Arabic?
The migration of Arabs to North Africa in the 11th century was a major factor in the ethnical, linguistic and cultural Arabization of the Maghreb region. The descendants of the original Arab settlers who continue to speak Arabic as a first language currently form the single largest population group in North Africa.
What are the four main language families in Africa?
The languages of Africa can be grouped into 6 major linguistic families. Each has a different history and geographic distribution on the continent. The four major families of AFRO-ASIATIC, NILO-SAHARAN, KHOISAN, and NIGER-CONGO are indicated on the map.
Where is Swahili spoken in Africa?
It’s a national language in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and an official language of the East African Community which comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
Is English widely spoken in Egypt?
The most widely spoken language in everyday life in Egypt is actually Egyptian Arabic, with around two thirds of the population fluent.Nowadays, English is the foreign language most likely to be spoken in Egypt.
