French

A language of France

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Français

Population

53,500,000 in France (2006 census). Population total all countries: 68,458,600.

Location

Also in Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Haiti, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, New Caledonia, Niger, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

Language Maps

Andorra and France

Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands

Ireland and United Kingdom

Liechtenstein and Switzerland

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, Consitution, Article 2.1).

Classification

Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French

Dialects

Angevin, Berrichon, Bourbonnais, Bourguignon, Franc-Comtois, Gallo, Lorraine, Norman (Normand), Poitevin, Saintongeais, Standard French. Lexical similarity: 89% with Italian [ita], 80% with Logudorese Sardinian [src], 78% with Romansch [roh], 75% with Portuguese [por], Romanian [ron], and Spanish[spa], 29% with German [deu], 27% with English [eng].

Typology

SVO

Language Use

50,000,000 L2 speakers.

Language Development

Fully developed. Bible: 1530–2000.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about French

Writing

Braille script. Latin script, primary usage.

Other Comments

Christian.

Also spoken in:

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Algeria

Language nameFrench

Population

10,200 in Algeria (2012 Laval University).

Location

Mostly cities.

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language, in higher education.

Language Development

20% can read and write French.

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Andorra

Language nameFrench

Population

2,400 in Andorra (1986).

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

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Belgium

Language nameFrench

Population

4,000,000 in Belgium (Harris 1987).

Location

Hainaut, Namur, Liège, Luxembourg, and Brabant-Walloon provinces, southern hills, and bilingual part of Brussels. Lorraine in Luxembourg Province south.

Alternate Names

Français

Dialects

Lorraine.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1994, Constitution, Articles 2,4,30).

Other Comments

The following municipalities have minority rights for Dutch-speaking persons: Comines-Warneton, Mouscron, Enghien, Floubecques; and for German-speaking persons: Malmèdy, Weismes, Welkenraedt.

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Benin

Language nameFrench

Population

16,700 in Benin (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1990, Constitution, Article 1).

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

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Burkina Faso

Language nameFrench

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 35).

Language Development

Official language of education.

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Burundi

Language nameFrench

Population

2,200 in Burundi (2004).

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

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Cambodia

Language nameFrench

Status

8a (Moribund).

Language Use

Still L2 for older Cambodians.

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Cameroon

Language nameFrench

Location

Mainly in the Littoral, West, Center, South, East, Adamawa, North, and Far North regions.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Article 1(3)).

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Canada

Language nameFrench

Population

7,300,000 in Canada (2011 census). 300,000 speak Acadien, 500,000 speak Franco-Ontarien.

Location

Québécois in Quebec; Franco-Ontarien in Ontario; Acadian in Caraquet; Shippagan on the east coast of New Brunswick, pockets in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; Franco-terreneuvien in Newfoundland. Some Québécois in Manitoba.

Alternate Names

Français

Dialects

Acadian (Acadien), Franco-Ontarien, Franco-Terreneuvien, Québécois, Shippagan.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1988, Official Languages Act, Ch. 38, Articles 1, 34).

Language Use

All domains. English [eng] partly used in public contexts such as commerce, technology, government, or public discourse such as sports, rock and roll music, dialogue with English speakers.

Other Comments

Difficult intelligibility Québécois and Acadian speakers, for speakers not fluent in standard French. Québécois used more vigorously than Acadian. Christian.

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Central African Republic

Language nameFrench

Population

9,000 in Central African Republic (1996).

Location

Widespread.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2004, Constitution, Article 18).

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Chad

Language nameFrench

Population

3,000 in Chad (1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Article 9).

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Comoros

Language nameFrench

Population

1,700 in Comoros (1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2001, Constitution, Article 1).

Other Comments

Language of all formal education except Koranic.

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Congo (Brazzaville)

Language nameFrench

Population

28,000 in Congo (1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2002, Constitution, Article 6).

Other Comments

Sole language of formal education.

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Congo (Kinshasa)

Language nameFrench

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2006, Constitution, Article 1).

Language Development

Taught in secondary schools.

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Djibouti

Language nameFrench

Population

10,200 in Djibouti (2006).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 1).

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Equatorial Guinea

Language nameFrench

Population

Increasing due to immigration. About 100,000 L2 users.

Location

Mostly cities.

Alternate Names

Français, Francés

Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (1998, Constitution, Article 4(1) as amended).

Language Use

Used by immigrants and officially. Commerce, government.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools, as a subject. Taught in secondary schools, as a subject.

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French Guiana

Language nameFrench

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), French overseas department.

Language Use

All speak French as L1 or L2.

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French Polynesia

Language nameFrench

Population

178,000 in French Polynesia (2007 census). 35,000 monolinguals. About 74,000 L2 users.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57).

Language Use

Widespread, government, media, public life.

Language Development

Tertiary education is also in French. Taught in primary and secondary schools.

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Gabon

Language nameFrench

Population

37,500 in Gabon (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 2).

Other Comments

The only language of formal education.

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Guadeloupe

Language nameFrench

Population

7,300 in Guadeloupe (2004).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), French overseas department.

Other Comments

Local variety is similar to Cajun French [frc] of the United States.

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Guinea

Language nameFrench

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2010, Constitution, Article 1).

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Haiti

Language nameFrench

Population

600 in Haiti (2004).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (1987, Constitution, Article 5(2)).

Language Use

400,000 L2 speakers.

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India

Language nameFrench

Population

10,000 in India (2008).

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory language of provincial identity in Puducherry Union Territory (1950, Constitution, Articles 345–347 inclusive), unscheduled language.

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Italy

Language nameFrench

Population

100,000 in Italy (Harris 1987).

Location

Aosta Valley Region.

Alternate Names

Français

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Valle d’Aoste (1999, Historical Minorities Protection Act, No. 482).

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Ivory Coast

Language nameFrench

Population

17,500 in Côte d’Ivoire (1988 census).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2000, Constitution, Article 29).

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Lebanon

Language nameFrench

Population

16,600 in Lebanon (2004).

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

Language Use

About 20% of the population speak French in their daily lives, and up to 65% of the population can read and converse in French. A number of government and private universities teach in French.

Language Development

Language of instruction in many schools. Taught in primary and secondary schools.

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Luxembourg

Language nameFrench

Population

13,100 in Luxembourg (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (1984, Language Law of 24 February, Article 2).

Language Use

Used mainly by intellectuals, professionals, authorities. Used for streets, shops, travel tickets, hotel registries, menus.

Language Development

Taught in school.

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Madagascar

Language nameFrench

Population

18,000 in Madagascar (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2010, Constitution, Article 6).

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Mali

Language nameFrench

Population

9,000 in Mali (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 25).

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Official language for instruction in schools.

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Martinique

Language nameFrench

Population

9,000 in Martinique (2004).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), French overseas department.

Other Comments

When Creole languages exist alongside their lexifier language, as in Martinique, a continuum forms of variations between the Creole and the lexifier language. It is therefore difficult to substantiate the number of Creole speakers and English speakers.

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Mauritania

Language nameFrench

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

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Mauritius

Language nameFrench

Population

37,000 in Mauritius.

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

Language Use

Stores. Widely used by young people as L2. Older adults tend to use creole.

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Mayotte

Language nameFrench

Population

2,450 in Mayotte (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), as special French collectivity.

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Monaco

Language nameFrench

Population

17,400 in Monaco (1988).

Alternate Names

Français

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1962, Constitution, Article 8).

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New Caledonia

Language nameFrench

Population

68,300 in New Caledonia (2009 census).

Location

Mainly Nouméa.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2).

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Niger

Language nameFrench

Population

6,000 in Niger (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1999, Constitution, Article 3).

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Reunion

Language nameFrench

Population

2,400 in Réunion (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), French overseas department.

Language Use

160,500 L2 speakers.

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Rwanda

Language nameFrench

Population

2,300 in Rwanda (2004).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (2003, Constitution, Article 5).

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Saint Barthélemy

Language nameFrench

Population

6,750 in Saint Barthélemy (2011 SIL). Most Sous le Vent dialect users shifting to modern standard French.

Dialects

Sous le Vent (Saint Barthélemy Patois).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), French overseas collectivity.

Other Comments

Sous le Vent on the northwest end of the island is an archaic French similar to 17th century French.

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Saint Martin (French part)

Language nameFrench

Population

3,000 in Saint Martin (2011 SIL).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), French overseas collectivity.

Language Use

More formal functions of government and education.

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Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Language nameFrench

Population

5,110 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1967 census). Ethnic population: 5,240.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2), overseas French territory.

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Senegal

Language nameFrench

Population

20,000 in Senegal (2006).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2001, Constitution, Article 1).

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Seychelles

Language nameFrench

Population

980 in Seychelles (1971 census).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2003, Constitution, Article 4(1)).

Other Comments

Spoken by French settler families, grands blancs.

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Switzerland

Language nameFrench

Population

1,490,000 in Switzerland (2000 census).

Location

West: Fribourg, Geneve, Jura, Neuchatel, and Vaud cantons.

Alternate Names

Français

Dialects

Franche-Comtois (Fribourgois, Jurassien).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1999, Constitution, Article 70(1)), co-equal with Italian [ita] and Standard German [deu] on the federal level.

Language Use

33% of the Swiss population speak French daily (1990 census). Used for education in French-speaking areas.

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Togo

Language nameFrench

Population

3,000 in Togo (1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 3).

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Tunisia

Language nameFrench

Population

11,000 in Tunisia (1993).

Status

5 (Dispersed).

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United Kingdom

Language nameFrench

Population

Of the 3 French dialects spoken on the Channel Islands, 2,870 speak Jèrriais on Jersey Island (for 110 people, it was their L1), 1,300 speak Dgernesiais (2001 census) and 20 speak Serquiais on Guernsey Island.

Location

Channel Islands.

Dialects

Dgernesiais, Jèrriais, Serquiais.

Status

6b (Threatened).

Language Use

There are limited efforts of revitalization in the Channel Islands.

Other Comments

Auregniais was a dialect once spoken on Alderney. Societies are trying to preserve the dialects from becoming extinct. The States of Jersey have voted to designate Jèrriais as Jersey’s official minority language.

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United States

Language nameFrench

Population

1,300,000 in United States (2010 census).

Location

Massachusetts, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, Manchester, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Dialects

Acadian (Acadien), Québécois.

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Considered threatened. Christian.

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Vanuatu

Language nameFrench

Population

6,300 in Vanuatu (1995).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1980, Consitution, Art 3(1)).

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Wallis and Futuna

Language nameFrench

Population

120 in Wallis and Futuna (Johnstone 1993).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2).

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Ethnologue

French

A language of France

Also spoken in:

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French

A language of France

Also spoken in: