Languages of Niger
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| Languages of Niger | |
|---|---|
Francophone African Sign Language | |
| Keyboard layout | |
Niger has 11 national languages, with French being the official language and Hausa the most spoken language. Depending on how they are counted,
Nilo-Saharan and Niger–Congo
families. The discrepancy comes from the fact that several are closely related, and can be grouped together or considered apart.
Official Languages
French, inherited from the colonial period, is the official language. It is spoken mainly as a second language by people who have received an education (20% of Nigeriens are literate in French, and even 47% in cities, growing quickly as literacy improves[1]). Although educated Nigeriens still constitute a relatively small percentage of the population, the French language is the language used by the official administration (courts, government, etc.), the media and the business community. See also: African French[citation needed]
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Niger has ten official
Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Zarma & Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq, Tebu.[2] These ten national languages, their language families, the approximate percentage of the population that speak them, their approximate home regions, and additional information are as follows:[citation needed
]
| Language | Family | Approx % | Main region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hausa | Chadic
|
55.4% | South, central | Main trade language[3] |
| Songhai | nilo-saharan )
|
21% | Southwest | Zarma and Songhay are considered together |
| Tamasheq | Afro-Asiatic / Berber
|
9.3% | North | |
| Fulfulde | Atlantic
|
8.5% | All | Fulfulde of Western Niger & Central-Eastern Niger are considered together |
| Kanuri | Nilo-Saharan
|
4.7% | Southeast | |
Arabic
|
Afro-Asiatic / Semitic
|
0.4% | Southeast | Particularly spoken by the Diffa Arabs mainly in the Diffa Region |
Gourmanchéma
|
Niger–Congo / Gur
|
0.4% | Southwest corner | Spoken mainly by the Gurma people of southwest Niger |
| Tebu | Nilo-Saharan
|
0.4% | East | Spoken mainly by the Toubou people of Eastern Niger |
| Other | N/A | 0.1% | Throughout | Any other languages |
Languages by number of speakers (according to Ethnologue)[4]
| Rank | Language | Speakers in Niger |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hausa | 14,500,000 |
| 2 | Zarma | 3,590,000 |
| 3 | French | 2,506,000 |
| 4 | Fulfulde, Central-Eastern Niger | 450,000 |
| 5 | Fulfulde , Western Niger
|
450,000 |
| 6 | Tamajaq, Tawallammat | 450,000 |
| 7 | Kanuri, Manga | 280,000 |
| 8 | Tamajeq, Tayart | 250,000 |
| 9 | Kanuri, Yerwa | 80,000 |
| 10 | Dazaga | 50,000 |
| 11 | Kanuri, Tumari | 40,000 |
| 12 | Gourmanchéma | 30,000 |
| 13 | Tagdal | 26,900 |
| 14 | Kanuri, Bilma | 20,000 |
| 15 | Tamahaq, Tahaggart | 20,000 |
| 16 | Arabic, Hassaniyya | 19,000 |
| 17 | Arabic, Algerian Saharan Spoken | 10,000 |
| 18 | Tedaga | 10,000 |
| 19 | Arabic, Libyan Spoken | 9,300 |
| 20 | Arabic, Shuwa | 9,300 |
| 21 | Tasawaq | 8,000 |
| 22 | Arabic, Standard | 7,800 |
| 23 | Tetserret | 2,000 |
By Region
Dominant languages
| Region | Languages |
|---|---|
| Agadez Region | Tuareg, Kanuri
|
| Diffa Region | Kanuri |
| Dosso Region | Zarma |
| Maradi Region | Hausa |
| Niamey | Zarma |
| Tahoua Region | Hausa |
| Tillabéri Region | Zarma |
| Zinder Region | Kanuri |
See also
References
- ^ http://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/odsef_rr_alphab_niger_2015_final2.pdf, page 18-19.
- ^ République du Niger, "Loi n° 2001-037 du 31 décembre 2001 fixant les modalités de promotion et de développement des langues nationales." L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (accessed 14 October 2014)
- ^ Ethnologue, 17th ed., Languages of Niger (accessed 14 October 2014)
- ^ "Niger". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
External links
- Ethnologue report on "Languages of Niger"
- PanAfriL10n page on Niger
- Linguistic situation in Niger (in French)
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