|
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 |
|
|