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Niger has 11 national languages, with French being the official language and Hausa the most spoken language. Depending on how they are counted, Niger has between 8 and 20 indigenous languages, belonging to the Afroasiatic, 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.
| Languages of Niger | |
|---|---|
,_IOM_billboard.jpg) French in use on an official sign in Niger | |
| Official | French |
| National | Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Zarma & Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq, Tebu |
| Vernacular | African French, Chadian Arabic |
| Minority | Tamahaq, Teda, Tasawaq, Tetserret |
| Foreign | English, Chinese, Japanese |
| Signed | Francophone African Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
Official languages
editFrench, 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 national languages, namely Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, 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 | Afro-Asiatic / Chadic | 55.4% | South, central | Main trade language[3] |
| Songhai | Songhay languages (nilo-saharan) | 21% | Southwest | Zarma and Songhay are considered together |
| Tamasheq | Afro-Asiatic / Berber | 9.3% | North | |
| Fulfulde | Niger–Congo / 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)
edit| Rank[4] | 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
editDominant languages
edit| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ 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
edit- Ethnologue report on "Languages of Niger"
- PanAfriL10n page on Niger
- Linguistic situation in Niger (in French)
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