Languages of French Guiana
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of French Guiana.]
French Guiana. 192,000. National or official language: French. Literacy rate: 78%–82%. Immigrant languages: Haitian, Hmong Njua, North Levantine Spoken Arabic (800). Information mainly from A. Butt 1966; SIL 1965–2003. The number of individual languages listed for French Guiana is 12. Of those, all are living languages.
| Arawak | [arw]
150 in French Guiana. Ethnic population: 350. Coastal areas.
Alternate names: Lokono.
Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Northern Maipuran, Caribbean
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| Aukan | [djk]
6,590 in French Guiana (2000). Along Suriname border and Kourou.
Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Suriname, Ndyuka
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| Carib | [car]
1,200 in French Guiana. Coastal areas.
Alternate names: Caribe, Cariña, Galibi, Kalihna, Kalinya.
Dialects: Tyrewuju (Eastern Carib).
Classification: Carib, Northern, Galibi
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| Chinese, Hakka | [hak]
5,000 in French Guiana.
Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
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| Emerillon | [eme]
400 (2001). Southern border area, Ouaqui, Camopi and Oiapoque rivers. None in Brazil.
Alternate names: Emereñon, Emerilon, Melejo, Mereo, Mereyo, Teco.
Dialects: Probably not intelligible with Wayampi [oym].
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup VIII
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| French | [fra]
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
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| Guianese Creole French | [gcr]
50,000 (1977 SIL).
Alternate names: French Guianese Creole French, Guyanais, Guyane, Guyane Creole, Patois, Patwa.
Dialects: Intelligibility of Saint Lucia Creole [acf] is 78%, of Karipúna Creole [kmv] of Brazil 77%.
Classification: Creole, French based
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| Javanese, Caribbean | [jvn]
Coastal area.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Javanese
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| Palikúr | [plu]
500 in French Guiana. Eastern border area.
Alternate names: Palicur, Palikour.
Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Eastern Maipuran
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| Saramaccan | [srm]
3,000 in French Guiana (1994).
Classification: Creole, English based
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| Wayampi | [oym]
650 in French Guiana (2000 SIL). 120 Camopí and Masikilí on middle Oyapock River, and 180 in 3 villages on upper Oyapock around Trois-Sauts (Grenand 1980). Southern border area.
Alternate names: Oiampí, Oiumpian, Oyampí, Oyapí, Wajapi, Wayapi, Wayãpi.
Dialects: Oiyapoque, Wajapuku.
Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup VIII
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| Wayana | [way]
200 in French Guiana. Ethnic population: 1,000 in French Guiana. Southwestern border area.
Alternate names: Alukuyana, Guayana, Oayana, Uaiana, Upurui.
Classification: Carib, Northern, East-West Guiana, Wayana-Trio
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