|
The Principal Languages
of the World
Source: Sidney S. Culbert, University of
Washington, Seattle, Wash. 98195
Total number of speakers (native plus
nonnative) of languages spoken by at least one million persons
(midyear 1989)
Language
Millions
|
Achinese
(N. Sumatra,
Indonesia)..............................................................................
|
3 |
|
Afrikaans
(South Africa)
...........................................................................................
|
10 |
|
Akan (or
Twi-Fante) (Ghana).....................................................................................
|
7 |
|
Albanian
(Albania;
Yugoslavia)...................................................................................
|
5 |
|
Amharic
(Ethiopia)....................................................................................................
|
17 |
|
Arabic.....................................................................................................................
|
197 |
|
Armenian
(USSR).....................................................................................................
|
5 |
|
Assamese
(Assam, India;
Bangladesh)......................................................................
|
22 |
|
Aymara
(Bolivia;
Peru)..............................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Azerbaijani
(Iran;
USSR)...........................................................................................
|
14 |
|
Balinese
(Indonesia).................................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Baluchi
(Bakuchistan,
Pakistan)................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Bashkir
(USSR)........................................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Batak Toda
(including Anakola) (Indonesia) (see also
karo-Dain).................................. |
4 |
|
Baule (Cote
d'Ivoire)..................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Beja
(Kassala, Sudan;
Ethiopia)................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Bemba
(Zambia).......................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Bengalil/Berber2
(Bengal, India;
Bangladesh)..............................................................
|
184 |
|
Beti
(Cameroon; Gabon; Eq.
Guinea).........................................................................
|
2 |
|
Bhili
(India)...............................................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Bikol (SE
Luzon,
Philippines)....................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Brahui
(Pakistan; Afghanistan;
Iran)...........................................................................
|
1 |
|
Bugis (Indonesia;
Malaysia).......................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Bulgarian
(Bulgaria)....................................................................................................
|
9 |
|
Burmese
(Burma).......................................................................................................
|
30 |
|
Buyi (S Guizhou, S
China)..........................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Byelorussian
(USSR)..................................................................................................
|
10 |
|
Cantonese (or Yue)
(China; Hong
Kong).......................................................................
|
63 |
|
Catalan (NE Spain;
S France;
Andorra)........................................................................
|
9 |
|
Cebuano (Bohol Sea
area,
Philippines).........................................................................
|
12 |
|
Chagga
(Kilimanjaro area, Tanzania)
........................................................................... |
1 |
|
Chiga (Ankole,
Uganda)
............................................................................................. |
1 |
|
Chinese3 |
|
|
Chuvash (USSR)
....................................................................................................... |
2 |
|
Czech
(Czechoslovakia)
............................................................................................. |
12 |
|
Danish (Denmark)
..................................................................................................... |
5 |
|
Dimli (EC Turkey)
...................................................................................................... |
1 |
|
Dogri
(Jammu-Kashmir, C and E India)
........................................................................ |
1 |
|
Dong (Guizhou,
Hunan, Guangxi, China)
..................................................................... |
2 |
|
Dutch-Flemish
(Netherlands; Belgium)
........................................................................ |
21 |
|
Dyerma (SW Niger)
...................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Edo (Bendel, S
Nigeria)
............................................................................................. |
1 |
|
Efik (incl. Ibido)
(SE Nigeria; W Cameroon)
................................................................ |
6 |
|
English
....................................................................................................................
|
443 |
|
Esperanto
................................................................................................................ |
2 |
|
Estonian (Estonia)
.................................................................................................... |
1 |
|
Ewe (SE Ghana; S
Togo)
.......................................................................................... |
3 |
|
Fang-Bulu (Dialects of Beti, q.v.) |
|
|
Farsi
(Iranian form of Persian, q.v.) |
|
|
Finnish (Finland;
Sweden)
......................................................................................... |
6 |
|
Flemish
(see Dutch-Flemish) |
|
|
Fon (SC Benin; S
Togo)
............................................................................................ |
1 |
|
French (France,
Switzerland)
.................................................................................... |
121 |
|
Fula (or Peulh)
(Cameroon; Nigeria)
............................................................................ |
13 |
|
Fulakunda
(Senegambia; Guinea Bissau)
.................................................................... |
2 |
|
Futa Jalon (NW
Guinea; Sierra Leone)
........................................................................ |
3 |
|
Galician (Galicia,
NW Spain)
...................................................................................... |
3 |
|
Galla
(see Oromo) |
|
|
Ganda (or Luganda)
(S Uganda)
.................................................................................. |
3 |
|
Georgian (USSR)
...................................................................................................... |
4 |
|
German (Germany;
Austria; Switzerland)
..................................................................... |
118 |
|
Gilaki (Gilan, NW
Iran)
............................................................................................... |
2 |
|
Gogo (Riff Valley,
Tanzania)
....................................................................................... |
1 |
|
Gondi (Central
India)
.................................................................................................. |
2 |
|
Greek (Greece)
......................................................................................................... |
12 |
|
Guarani (Paraguay)
................................................................................................... |
4 |
|
Gujarati (W and C
India; S Pakistan)
........................................................................... |
38 |
|
Gusii (Kisii
District, Nyanza, Kenya)
........................................................................... |
2 |
Hadiyya (Arusi,
Ethiopia)
............................................................................................
2
Hakka
(or Kejia) (SE China)
.....................................................................................
32
Hani (S China)
............................................................................................................
1
Hausa (N Nigeria;
Niger; Cameroon)
..........................................................................
34
Haya (Kagera, NW
Tanzania)
....................................................................................
1
Henrew (Israel)
..........................................................................................................
4
Hindi4
.................................................................................................................................................................
352
|
Ho
(Buhar and Orissa states, India)
................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Hungarian (or Magyar) (Hungary)
...................................................................................
|
14 |
|
Than
(Kalimantan, Indonesia; Malaysia)
..........................................................................
|
1 |
|
Ibidio
(see Efik) |
|
|
Igbo
(or Ibo) (Lower Niger R., Nigeria)
.........................................................................
|
16 |
|
Ijaw
(Niger River Delta, Nigeria)
....................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Ilocano
(NW Luzon, Philippines)
....................................................................................
|
7 |
|
Indonesian (see Malay-Indonesian) |
|
|
Italian
(Italy)
...................................................................................................................
|
63 |
|
Japanese (Japan)
............................................................................................................
|
125 |
|
Javanese (Java, Indonesia)
..............................................................................................
|
58 |
|
Kabyle
(W Kabylia, N Algeria)
......................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Kamba
(E Kenya)
..........................................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Kannada'
(S India)
.........................................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Kanuri
(Nigeria; Niger; Chad; Cameroon)
......................................................................
|
4 |
|
Karen
(see Sgaw) |
|
|
Karo-Dairi (N Sumatra, Indonesia)
.................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Kashmiri' (N India; NE Pakistan)
....................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Kazakh
(USSR)
.............................................................................................................
|
8 |
|
Kenuzi-Dongola (S Egypt; Sudan)
..................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Khalka
(see Mongolian) |
|
|
Khmer
(Kampuchea; Vietnam; Thailand)
........................................................................
|
7 |
|
Khmer,
Northern (Thailand)
...........................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Kikuyu
(or Gekoyo) (W and C Kenya)
..........................................................................
|
5 |
|
Kirghiz
(USSR)
..............................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Kituba
(Bas-Zaire, Bandundu, Zaire)
..............................................................................
|
4 |
|
Kongo
(W Zaire; S Congo; NW Angola)
.......................................................................
|
3 |
|
Konkani
(Maharashita and SW India)
.............................................................................
|
4 |
|
Korean
(North and South Korea; China; Japan)
.............................................................
|
71 |
|
Kurdish
(south-west of Caspian Sea)
..............................................................................
|
9 |
|
Kurukh
(or Oraon) (C and E India)
................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Laos
(Laos)
....................................................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Lampung
(Sumatra, Indonesia)
.......................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Latvian
(Latvia)
..............................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Lingala
(incl. Bangala) (Zaire)
.........................................................................................
|
6 |
|
Lithuanian (Lithuania)
......................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Luba-Lulua (or Chiluba) (Kasai, Zaire)
...........................................................................
|
6 |
|
Luba-Shaba (Shaba, Zaire)
............................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Lubu (E
Sumatra, Indonesia)
..........................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Luhya (W Kenya)
...................................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Luo (Kenya;
Nyanza, Tanzania)
..............................................................................
|
3 |
|
Luri (SW Iran;
Iraq)
................................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Lwena (E Angola; W
Zambia)
.................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Macedonian
(Macedonia, Yugoslavia)
.....................................................................
|
2 |
|
Madurese (Madura,
Indonesia)
...............................................................................
|
10 |
|
Magindanaon (Moro
Gulf, S Philippines)
.................................................................
|
1 |
|
Makassar (S
Sulawesi, Indonesia)
...........................................................................
|
2 |
|
Makua (S Tanzania;
N Mozambique)
......................................................................
|
3 |
|
Malagasy
(Madagascar)
..........................................................................................
|
11 |
|
Malay-Indonesian
...................................................................................................
|
142 |
|
Malay, Pattani (SE
peninsular Thailand)
...................................................................
|
1 |
|
Malayalam'
(Kerala, India)
......................................................................................
|
34 |
|
Malinke-Bambara-Dyula (W Africa)
.......................................................................
|
9 |
|
Mandarin (China,
Taiwan, Singapore)
......................................................................
|
864 |
|
Marathi'
(Maharashtra, India)
..................................................................................
|
64 |
|
Mazandarani (S
Mazandaran, N Iran)
......................................................................
|
2 |
|
Mbundu (or
Umbundu) (Benguela, Angola)
.............................................................
|
3 |
|
Mbundu (or
Kimbundu) (Luanda, Angola)
...............................................................
|
3 |
|
Meithei (NE India;
Bangladesh)
...............................................................................
|
1 |
|
Mende (S and E
Sierra Leone)
................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Meru (Eastern
Province, C Tanzania)
......................................................................
|
1 |
|
Miao (or Hmong) (S
China; SE Asia)
......................................................................
|
5 |
|
Mien (China;
Vietnam; Laos; Thailand)
....................................................................
|
2 |
|
Min (SE China;
Taiwan; Malaysia)
..........................................................................
|
48 |
|
Minangkabau (W
Sumatra, Indonesia)
.....................................................................
|
6 |
|
Moldavian (included with Romanian) |
|
|
Mongolian
(Mongolia; NE China)
............................................................................
|
5 |
|
Mordvin (USSR)
....................................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Mor6 (central part
of Burkina Faso)
........................................................................
|
4 |
|
Nepali (Nepal, NE
India; Bhutan)
............................................................................
|
13 |
|
Ngulu (Zambezia,
Mozambique Malawi)
..................................................................
|
2 |
|
Nkole (Western
Province, Uganda)
.........................................................................
|
1 |
|
Norwegian (Norway)
..............................................................................................
|
5 |
|
Nung (NE of Hanoi,
Vietnam; China)
......................................................................
|
1 |
|
Nupe (Kwara, Niger
States, Nigeria)
......................................................................
|
1 |
|
Nyamwezi-Sukuma
(NW Tanzania)
........................................................................
|
4 |
|
Nyanja (Malawi;
Zambia; N Zimbabwe)
..................................................................
|
4 |
|
Oriya'
(E India)
.......................................................................................................
|
30 |
|
Oromo (W Ethiopia;
N Kenya)
...............................................................................
|
10 |
|
Pampangan (NW of
Manila, Philippines)
..................................................................
|
2 |
|
Panay-Hiligaynon
(Philippines)
.................................................................................
|
6 |
|
Pangasinan
(Philippines)
..........................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Pashtu (Pakistan;
Afghanistan; Iran)
.........................................................................
|
21 |
|
Pedi
(see Sotho, Northern) |
|
|
Persian (Iran;
Afghanistan)
.......................................................................................
|
32 |
|
Polish (Poland)
..........................................................................................................
|
43 |
|
Portugese
(Portugal, Brazil)
.......................................................................................
|
173 |
|
Provengal (S
France)
................................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Punjabi'
(Punjab, Pakistan; NW India)
.......................................................................
|
84 |
|
Pushto
(see Pashtu – many spellings) |
|
|
Quechua (Peru;
Bolivia; Ecuador; Argentina)
.............................................................
|
8 |
|
Rejang (SW
Sumatra, Indonesia)
...............................................................................
|
1 |
|
Riff (N Morocco;
Algerian Coast)
.............................................................................
|
1 |
|
Romanian (Romania;
Moldavia, USSR)
.....................................................................
|
25 |
|
Romany (Vlach
only) (Europe; America)
...................................................................
|
1 |
|
Ruanda (Rwanda; S
Uganda; E Zaire)
.......................................................................
|
8 |
|
Rundi (Burundi)
.........................................................................................................
|
6 |
|
Russian (USSR)
........................................................................................................
|
293 |
|
Samar-Leyte
(Central E Philippines)
..........................................................................
|
3 |
|
Sango (Central
African Republic)
..............................................................................
|
3 |
|
Santali (E India;
Nepal)
.............................................................................................
|
5 |
|
Sasak (Lombok,
Alas Strait, Indonesia)
.....................................................................
|
1 |
|
Serbo-Croatian
(Yugoslavia)
.....................................................................................
|
20 |
|
Sgaw (SW, W, N of
Rangoon, Burma)
.....................................................................
|
1 |
|
Shan (Shan,
E Burma)
.............................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Shilha (W Algeria;
S Morocco)
.................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Shona (Zimbabwe)
....................................................................................................
|
7 |
|
Sidamo (Sidamo, S
Ethiopia)
.....................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Sindhi'
(SE Pakistan; W India)
...................................................................................
|
16 |
|
Sinhalese (Sri
Lanka)
................................................................................................
|
13 |
|
Slovak
(Czechoslovakia)
...........................................................................................
|
5 |
|
Slovene (Slovenia,
NW Yugoslavia)
..........................................................................
|
2 |
|
Soga (Busoga,
Uganda)
............................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Somali (Somalia;
Ethiopia; Kenya; Djbouti)
...............................................................
|
7 |
|
Songye (Kasia Or.,
NW Shala, Zaire)
.......................................................................
|
1 |
|
Soninke (Mali;
countries to W, S, E)
.........................................................................
|
1 |
|
Sotho, Northern
(South Africa)
.................................................................................
|
3 |
|
Sotho, Southern
(South Africa; Lesotho)
...................................................................
|
4 |
|
Spanish (Spain;
Central and South America; Caribbean)
............................................
|
341 |
|
Sundanese (Sunda
Strait, Indonesia)
..........................................................................
|
24 |
|
Swahili (Kenya;
Tanzania; Zaire; Uganda)
..................................................................
|
43 |
|
Swati (Swaziland;
South Africa)
................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Swedish (Sweden;
Finland)
.......................................................................................
|
9 |
|
Sylhetti
(Bangladesh)
.................................................................................................
|
5 |
|
Tagalog
(Philippines)
.................................................................................................
|
36 |
|
Tajiki (USSR)
...........................................................................................................
|
4 |
|
Tamazight (N
Morocco; W Algeria)
..........................................................................
|
3 |
|
Tamil'
(Tamil Nadu, India; Sri Lanka)
........................................................................
|
65 |
|
Tatar (USSR)
...........................................................................................................
|
7 |
|
Tausug
(Philippines; Malaysia)
...................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Telugu'
(Andhra Pradesh, SE India)
...........................................................................
|
68 |
|
Temne (C Sierra Leone)
...........................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Thais
(Thailand)
........................................................................................................
|
48 |
|
Tho (N Vietnam; S China)
........................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Thonga (Mozambique; South
Africa)
........................................................................
|
3 |
|
Tibetan (SW China; N
India; Nepal)
.........................................................................
|
5 |
|
Tigrinya (S Eritrea,
Tigre, Ethiopia)
...........................................................................
|
4 |
|
Tiv (SE Nigeria; Cameroon)
.....................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Tong (see Dong) |
|
|
Tonga (SW Zambia; NW
Zimbabwe)
.......................................................................
|
2 |
|
Tswana (Botswana; South
Africa)
.............................................................................
|
3 |
|
Tudza (N Vietnam; S China)
.....................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Tulu (S India)
...........................................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Tumbuka (N Malawi; NE
Zambia)
...........................................................................
|
2 |
|
Turkish (Turkey)
......................................................................................................
|
55 |
|
Turkmen (S USSR; NE Iran;
Afghanistan)
................................................................
|
3 |
|
Twi-Fante (see
Akan) |
|
|
Uighur (Xinjang, NW China;
SC USSR)
...................................................................
|
7 |
|
Ukranian (USSR; Poland)
.....................................................................................
|
45 |
|
Urdu4
(Pakistan; India)
.............................................................................................
|
92 |
|
Uzbek (USSR)
.........................................................................................................
|
13 |
|
Vietnamese (Vietnam)
..............................................................................................
|
57 |
|
Wolaytta (SW Ethiopia)
...........................................................................................
|
2 |
|
Wolof (Senegal)
.......................................................................................................
|
6 |
|
Wu (Shanghai and nearby
provinces, China)
.............................................................
|
62 |
|
Xhosa (SW Cape Province,
South Africa)
................................................................
|
7 |
|
Yao (see Mien)
(Malawi; Tanzania; Mozambique) |
|
|
Yi (S and SW China)
...............................................................................................
|
6 |
|
Yiddish6 |
|
|
Yoruba (SW Nigeria; Zou,
Benin)
............................................................................
|
18 |
|
Zande (NE Zaire; SW Sudan)
..................................................................................
|
1 |
|
Zhuang (S China)
.....................................................................................................
|
14 |
|
Zulu (N Natal, South
Africa; Lesotho)
......................................................................
|
7 |
|
