Here are 10 Namibian […] The Semitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family originating from the Middle East. Naro is used as a lingua franca among speakers of other Khoisan languages.. Click here to view a compelling National Geographic multimedia presentation on the San people. It seems hard to find the exact number of people who speak Afrikaans as mother tongue. Namibia, despite its scant population, is home to a wide diversity of languages, from multiple language families: Germanic, Bantu, and the various Khoisan families. None of which are more fascinating to visitors than a few remaining click languages. Around 130 million people speak German as their mother language or as a second language. English is the official business language and it is widely spoken in urban areas. The language is also known as Oshivambo or Ovambo. The Khoisan languages were once spoken across all of southern Africa from southern Angola in the west to Swaziland in the east and the Cape of Good Hope in the south (see the map).The 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, however, have witnessed the death of many of the recorded languages and dialects, and their distribution is now largely confined to Botswana and Namibia. A greater area of Bombay was further formed when these islands were joined with the adjoining island of Salsette. Other than that, in Angola there are 42 local languages, one of them, Kwadi, has no known speakers and others are Khoisan, not Bantu, languages. German is the most widely spoken mother language in the European Union and an official language in seven countries. Kwanyama is spoken in northern Namibia and southern Angola, and Ndonga is spoken in northern Namibia. Both major dialects have been used as … note: Namibia has 13 recognized national languages, including 10 indigenous African languages and 3 European languages Definition: This entry provides a listing of languages spoken in each country and specifies any that are official national or regional languages. L1 users: 50,200 in Namibia (2014 UNSD). The Khoisan, or Khoesaan, languages are generally spoken in the southwestern part of Africa, namely Angola, Botswana, and Namibia.What is probably most unique about the 50 or so Khoisan languages is that they are tonal and use clicking sounds. However, after Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990, the new government of the country allowed only the English language as the official language and mentioned the same in the constitution of the country. Oshiwambo is spoken by a majority (48%) of the population of Namibia, especially the Ovambo people settled in the area previously known as Ovamboland. It is the vision of the Namibian Biodiversity Database to eventually serve biodiversity data in as many of these languages as possible. Around 60% of Ghanaians speak a form of Kwa. Arabic was ranked the 5th most spoken language in the world by research group Ethnologue, with over 240 million speakers worldwide. This artical is wonderful and I got all of the information needed out of it. Types Of Crimes By Number Of Offenses In The US, The 10 Biggest Shopping Malls In The World. Namibia is a relatively small country, averaging just three people per square kilometer and totaling barely over two million people, but has an incredibly diverse culture. The official language, Bengali, is spoken by the vast majority of people but there are many indigenous languages spoken in some regions of the country and several foreign and immigrant languages. A profile of the languages in Namibia. Best Answers Not only is Africa the second most populous continent in the world with over one billion people, but it is also home to the highest linguistic diversity in the world, with over 1500 different languages. Previously known as South West Africa, it was once a German colony until it fell under South African rule in the early 1900s. The language is used at all levels of education and in the media. How many different languages are spoken in? Almost all of the most widely spoken languages of sub-Saharan Africa belong to the Niger-Congo family, and about 600 million people (85% of Africa’s population) speak a Niger-Congo language. read more . As mentioned above, English is the official language of Namibia. Hungarian serves as the native language of around 13 million native speakers. It is spoken as a second language by many more throughout the country, and younger urban generations are moving towards the dominant or exclusive use of Portuguese. Another unique thing about Namibia is the many languages spoken in the country. City of Toronto homepage Welcome to the three one one Toronto website. The language in Namibia consists of around 30 different languages. According to the APA Presidential Task Force, the United States of America has over 460 languages that are spoken daily. Dialects. [6] Among the white population, 60% speak Afrikaans, 32% German, 7% English, and 1% Portuguese. how many languages are spoken in brazil. Amharic, along with Arabic, Hebrew and Tigrinya, are the most spoken Semitic languages in the world by way of native speakers. Afrikaans, English and German (11.2%). The economic crisis in the neighbouring country affected the numbers. Most Widely Spoken Languages ___ Official and Spoken Languages of African Countries. There are 12 different major ethnic groups with a large range of tribes among them, and about 30 unique languages are spoken throughout the country. Himba women | Credit: Eye See Africa. More than 11 languages are indigenous to Namibia but with its cosmopolitan society, languages from around the world are spoken in Namibia. The Khoisan (Khoesan) language family is the smallest of the language families of Africa. 100,000 people, made up mostly of the Angolan community in 2014. Ethnologues recently counted at least 79 different spoken languages and dialects in Ghana, with some sources claiming that there are more than 100 different languages. However, the schools of Namibia are facing a shortage of teachers proficient in the English language, and a report reveals that 98% of the country’s teachers lack sufficient training in the language. Some of these survived and can be found in Portugal to this day. Unlock this profile with an Essentials plan.. See the details on every language spoken in Namibia, plus: Profiles for every other country in the world; 7,464 profiles covering every language in use today There are also lots of dialects, but they are only spoken in particular regions. How many people speak German as their mother language? Oshiwambo is a Bantu language spoken in southern Angola and northern Nambia by about 1.5 million people (in 2006). Most Angolans speak Portuguese as a second language. The national language, Hindi, is spoken by almost 30% of the people. Considering the relatively small size of her population (1.8 million in 2001), Namibia's people speak a surprising variety of languages - about 30. Namibia, like many other African countries, bears a complicated history. English is the official language, but Namibia's relatively small population is extraordinarily diverse in language and culture. Meanwhile, just 23 languages account for more than half the world’s population. Obviously the first thing you need to know in Namibia is saying hello. 100,000 p… During British rule, the land was divided into European and non-European regions, but t… Portuguese, being the official language of Angola, is used by approximately 80% of the population as either their primary or secondary language. Kxoe is used as a spoken, but not a written language in primary schools i.e., textbooks are in English. Namibia: English 7%: Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama. Namibia is currently a country of 2.1 million people and is scarcely populated due to the vast Namib Desert occupying a large part of its territory. The most widely spoken languages used in households are Oshiwambo dialects, by 49% of the population, Khoekhoegowab by 11%, Afrikaans by 10%, RuKwangali by 9% and Otjiherero by 9%. Africa is a continent with a very high linguistic diversity, there are an estimated 1500-2000 African languages. Swaziland came under the control of the Swazi people in the 1700s, which lasted until the early part of the 1900s, when Great Britain colonized the area. To make things even more confusing, in many countries the official language is not the same as the lingua franca – that is, the language spoken by the majority of its citizens. It’s a phoneme that has spread to languages in other families, like some of the Bantu languages. It may vary from English and Chinese to French and Spanish. German is the main or mother tongue of about 30,000 Namibians, a number composed roughly equally of German Namibians as well as older black … How Many Serial Killers Are On The Loose Today? A regular tourist would know how to speak English, being the universal language and all, it is also the official language of the country; however, there is only a small percentage of the population who use English as their language. Knowing Setswana is useful as it facilitates easy communication with the people of Botswana and they are usually pleased at the effort. Among the whites of Namibia, 60% speak the Afrikaans languages. English is Namibia's official language but is the mother tongue of just 7% of the population. Speakers use a clicking or popping sound generated by the cheeks and tongue to accentuate their language. A Bavarian will not understand the northern German "Platt" dialect, just as someone from the North won't be able to master Bavarian.If you live in Germany… [4] English, the official language, is spoken by 3% of people as their native language. Post author: Post published: 26 January 2021 Post category: Senza categoria Senza categoria These languages are spoken by 87.8% of Namibia's speakers, and three groups speaking 'imposed languages, viz. Languages in Namibia. It is the second most spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic, and is also the language of over 2 million Ethiopians living outside of the country. During the apartheid regime in Namibia, the three languages of English, German, and Afrikaans were designated as the official languages of Namibia. Population: 350,200 in Namibia, all users. The languages spoken in Namibia are mostly Afrikaans, German, English and Oshiwambo (a native language). German is spoken by 32% of the whites, 7% speak English, and 1% speak Portuguese. Portuguese was spoken by 4–5% of the total population, i.e. Swaziland is located in the western half of the southern tip of Africa, where it covers a total land area of 6,704 square miles. The six Bantu languages most widely spoken: Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe, Kwanyama also called Oshikwanyama, and Ngangela. Many African countries became independent from the British empire in the 20th century and have continued to speak the language since. German is one of the most popular languages in the world, and you might be surprised by how many people speak German in places all around the world. The language is also spoken by the people of Angola and has about one million speakers in total. However, despite its sparse population, Namibia has a rich linguistic diversity and languages belonging to Indo-European, Khoisan, and Bantu families are spoken here. The Bantu languages most widely used are –. The largest Khoisan language is Nama, which is spoken in Namibia. However, the language is spoken by less than 1% of the population of the country as their native language. The languages in South Africa are just as important as any other factor in understanding the essence of the country itself. List of official, national and spoken languages of Africa. Prior to independence, Afrikaans, along with German, had equal status in Namibia as an official language. Previously known as South West Africa, it was once a German colony until it fell under South African rule in the early 1900s. There are around 7.5 million first-language speakers of Portuguese although only around 25% of the total population are native Portuguese speakers. Currently the most spoken language in Africa, English is spoken in more than 23 countries including Botswana, The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, and Nigeria. Kxoe is used as a spoken, but not a written language in primary schools i.e., textbooks are in English. German, a Germanic language, is especially widely used in central and southern Namibia and was until 1990 one of three official languages in what was then South West Africa, alongside Afrikaans and English, two other Germanic languages in Namibia. German and Afrikaans were stigmatised as having colonial overtones,[1] while the rising of Mandela's Youth League and the 1951 Defiance Campaign spread English among the masses as the language of the campaign against apartheid.[2]. The 40 to 70 languages in the Khoisan phylum include tongues that are mostly located in southern Africa — namely parts of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Angola. Other languages are Kalanga spoken by 7.9% and Sekgalagadi by 2.8% of the people. The principle languages on the continent include Arabic, French and English. Bangladesh has just one official language: Bengali or Bangla. From secondary level English is the medium of instruction. The country has a population of approximately 1.34 million individuals. 0 0. Nama is an official language of Namibia. Until 1990, Afrikaans and German were also official languages but have since been demoted to two of the country's many 'recognised' languages. Skip to main. Niger: French : Hausa, Djerma : Nigeria: English: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, Ijaw, Ibibio and about 250 other indigenous languages spoken by the different ethnic groups. Many African countries became independent from the British empire in the 20th century and have continued to speak the language since. The name Khoisan derives from the name of the Khoe-Khoe (also known as the Hottentot) group of South Africa and the San (Bushmen) group of Namibia. In Afrikaans, it’s a plain hallo (huh-low). To make things even more confusing, in many countries the official language is not the same as the lingua franca – that is, the language spoken by the majority of its citizens. The country celebrated independence on March, 21, 1990, and has been a democratic nation ever since. Zambia’s official language is English, but there are more than 70 different languages and dialects spoken throughout the country. Of course, you have your typical English language, but what about the rest of them? Namibian slang) or Namlish . This variant of German is called variously Südwesterdeutsch (German südwest , southwest, referring to the country's former name, South West Africa ); while younger people also call it Namsläng (i.e. Languages Spoken in Namibia English is the official language, but Namibia's relatively small population is extraordinarily diverse in language and culture. Others include Rukwangali, Silozi, Setswana, Damara/Nama, Herero and Oshiwambo. Here is another quote. The Afrikaans language has about the same percentage of speakers. There are 12 different major ethnic groups with a large range of tribes among them, and about 30 unique languages are spoken throughout the country. In fact, it’s estimated that there may be over 3,000 languages spoken in Africa! This is a fragile time: Roughly 40% of languages are now endangered, often with less than 1,000 speakers remaining. After the First World War, Namibia was mandated to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations and was administered by South Africa. The principle languages on the continent include Arabic, French and English. Source: africa.com. Namibia, a country in southern Africa, gained independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990. LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN NAMIBIA. As a result of the City's COVID-19 response, some in-person services have been suspended in City buildings and divisional phone line hours may be different from what is indicated. The most widely spoken languages used in households are Oshiwambo dialects, by 49% of the population, Khoekhoegowab by 11%, Afrikaans by 10%, RuKwangali by 9% and Otjiherero by 9%. During the apartheid regime in Namibia, the three languages of English, German, and Afrikaans were designated as the official languages of Namibia. The Khoekhoe language is the second most popularly spoken indigenous language of Namibia and is spoken by about 11% of the population of Namibia. Namibia has a remarkable diversity of spoken languages: around 30 in total. Most written communication is also in English. Before 2009, the letters k, y, and w did not … There will be no language problems for tourists who are visiting Lisbon or the surrounding coastline. The language is now used in the government administration of the country and is the medium of instruction in schools and universities. How many different languages are spoken in the United States? Khoisan Language Family. Afrikaans is spoken by 60% of the population, but then as second language. English is the official language in Namibia, and almost everyone that you’ll meet on your travels will speak English, even though it’s the first language of less than 1% of the country’s population. Top. Naro is used as a lingua franca among speakers of other Khoisan languages.. Click here to view a compelling National Geographic multimedia presentation on the San people. Nama is an official language of Namibia. When Namibia was administered by South Africa, Afrikaans, German, and English enjoyed an equal status as official languages. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com, 10 Countries Where Women Far Outnumber Men, The Most Famous Serial Killers In America And Their Twisted Crimes. Migrant populations of workers from Ovamboland to other parts of Namibia also speak this language in their homes. In Africa, there are more than 100 million … The majority of the Namibians speak Afrikaans. All the indigenous languages … Later, the Bantu immigrants arrived in the country during the Bantu expansion. Status: 1 (National). Archaeological evidence suggests that the Khoisan people appeared in southern Africa some 60,000 years ago. 4% to 5% of the population, mainly the Angolan community, speak Portuguese. This includes the Akan Dialect which is spoken by more than 40% of the Ghanaian population as well as in regions in the Ivory Coast. The estimated number of Namibian languages ranges from ten to thirty languages, although these numbers may also include dialects of other languages (Frydman, 2011: 181). Portuguese. Speakers use a clicking or popping sound generated by the cheeks and tongue to accentuate their language. These tongues share certain parts of their phonologies, like their characteristic click consonantsthat may come to mind when people think of the languages of Africa. [3] Other native languages include the Bantu languages Setswana, Gciriku, Fwe, Kuhane, Mbukushu, Yeyi; and the Khoisan Naro, ǃXóõ, Kung-Ekoka, ǂKxʼauǁʼein and Kxoe. Home | Knowledge Base; COVID-19 Alert: Changes to City Services. During Portuguese rule, Angolans were required to be Roman Catholic and speak Portuguese, which lead to many families speaking only in Portuguese in order to offer a better education to their children. It has had constitutional recognition as a national language since independence in 1990. Since then, the Bantu people, known as the Ovambo people became the major inhabitants of Namibia and the language, Oshiwambo, spoken by them, is the most widely spoken language in the country. Namibia was occupied by the German forces and was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 till 1915. As a consequence the Portuguese language is spoken in Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Principe, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, East Timor and Macau. In Africa, majority of native English speakers are from South Africa, and the language is most spoken in Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The 2014 population census found that about 71% of the nearly 25.8 million inhabitants of Angola speak Portuguese at home. Sit down with a local and learn a few of their sounds and get a deeper look into the culture. H… In 1948, the apartheid regime was also applied in Namibia. Namibia has a remarkable diversity of spoken languages: around 30 in total. 7,117 languages are spoken today. The country celebrated independence on March, 21, 1990, and has been a democratic nation ever since. How many different languages are spoken in africa? Upon Namibian independence in 1990, English was enshrined as the nation's sole official language in the constitution of Namibia. In 42 countries there are more than 7.5 million people who belong to a German-speaking minority. Number of languages spoken in Toronto. tongue as the “main language spoken in the home environment and acquired as a first language, sometimes called the home language” (UNESCO, 2013). As mentioned in the above quote, Namibia is known to be a multicultural country, a country with a diversity of languages, and a population of just over two million people. Half of all Namibians speak Oshiwambo as their first language, whereas the most widely understood language is Afrikaans. In order to be literate, one should not only speak well, but also know the written language, as language is the system of human expression by means of words. Of these languages four main groupings can be distinguished: Afro-Asiatic Currently the most spoken language in Africa, English is spoken in more than 23 countries including Botswana, The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, and Nigeria. The San, Nama, and Damara peoples were the indigenous inhabitants of the country. L2 users: 300,000 (Crystal 2003a). After years of unrest, Namibia obtained full independence from the rule of South Africa in 1990. Another unique thing about Namibia is the many languages spoken in the country. See language lists, maps, statistics, and more. 90% of these languages are used by less than 100,000 people. For people to be in a position to communicate and understand each other this system needs to be fully func- 1. tional. Official Languages of Bangladesh. It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 languages are spoken here, many with their own set of varying dialects. Marathi, Hindi and English constitute the major languages spoken in this city. The German language as spoken in Namibia is characterised by simplification and the adoption of many words from Afrikaans, English, and Ovambo and other Bantu languages. These countries make up the Naturally, German is the primary language spoken in Germany. A language is able to survive only if its mother tongue speakers communicate in their mother tongue. The only widespread Khoisan language is Khoekhoe (also known as Khoekhoegowab, Nàmá or Damara) of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, with a quarter of a million speakers; Sandawe in Tanzania is second in number with some 40–80,000, some monolingual; and the ǃKung language of the northern Kalahari spoken by some 16,000 or so people. More than 11 languages are indigenous to Namibia but with its cosmopolitan society, languages from around the world are spoken in Namibia. Portuguese was spoken by 4–5% of the total population, i.e. Not only is Africa the second most populous continent in the world with over one billion people, but it is also home to the highest linguistic diversity in the world, with over 1500 different languages. During this time, the Afrikaans and English were made the official languages of the country. English, the official language, is spoken by 3% of people as their native language. The language is used at all levels of education and in the media. Namibia and Uruguay among states to reduce inequality on many measures, index shows Published: 9 Oct 2018 Developing nations 'making strides in cutting rich-poor gap' The Germans say guten tag (gut-ten taahg) and in Oshiwambo its Wa lalapo, which means good morning. It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 languages are spoken here, many with their own set of varying dialects. Indigenous languages are included in the school syllabus at primary level. The official language of Nigeria is English; however, over 520 regional languages and dialects are spoken throughout the country.. 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