This is one of 5 lists of major African languages reviewed in 2006
for revising the list of Major Languages on this wiki.
This presentation of major African languages by country is copied (via a scan) from: Herman Batibo. 2005. Language Decline and Death in Africa: Causes, Consequences, and Challenges. Clevedon, UK : Multilingual Matters. The table below is adapted from Appendix I of the book (pp. 138-144). Links have been added to relevant sections of this wiki, but not all languages have pages in the wiki. This table is referenced (along with several other lists from other authors) for the purposes of better understanding what are the major languages used in the various countries of Africa. Readers should refer to the original concerning any questions about what is (or is not) in the list and how the languages are categorized and named. Some comments are below, after the table (you may add yours there too).
| Country & number of languages | Nationally dominant languages | Areally dominant languages - Major | Areally dominant languages - Minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria (15) | Arabic | Kabyle | Chaouia |
| Angola (39) | - | Umbundu, Kimbundu (Luanda), Kikongo | Chokwe, Shikwanyama, Luchazi, Luvale, Nyemba, Chimbunda, Shimbwera, Nkhumbi, Lunyaneka |
| Benin (48) | - | Fon-Gbe, Hausa, Yoruba, Bariba | Aja-Gbe, Ayizo-Gbe, Ditammari, Fulfulde, Gen-Gbe, Gun-Gbe, Nago, Waci-Gbe |
| Botswana (28) | Setswana | Ikalanga | Shekgalagari, Naro |
| Burkina Faso (55) | Mossi-More | Dyula, Fulfulde, Gurmanche | Bissa, Bwamu, Dagara, Nuni, Lobi, Lyele, Marka, Bobo Madare, Dogon, Songhay, Kasem, Koromfe, Samo |
| Burundi (3) | Kirundi | - | - |
| Cameroon (274) | - | Pidgin English, Fulfulde, Ewondo (Bulu), Duala | Bamun, Basaa, Fefe-Bamileke, Ghomala (Banjun), Kom (Bikom), Mafa, Masana, Medumba (Gabangte), Lamnso, Tupuri, Ngiemboon, Akouse, Bafia, Bafut, Bokoto, Eton, Fang, Gbaya, Gidar, Kanuri, Kenyang, Limbum, Makaa, Mmen, Musgu, Ngwe, Ngemba, Ngomba, Yemba |
| Canary Islands (2) | Spanish | - | - |
| Cape Verde (2) | Kabuverdianu | - | - |
| Central African Republic (53) | Sango | Gbaya, Banda | Manza, Bokoto, Fulfulde, Yakoma, Gbanu, Kaba, Kare, Mbaka Ma'bo, Pana |
| Chad (126) | - | Arabic, Sara, Ngambay | Dazaga, Fulfulde, Gulay, Kanembu, Kanuri, Maba, Marba, Masana, Mundang, Musey, Naba, Budura, Day, Gor, Laka, Mango, Masalit, Nancere |
| Comoro Islands (6) | Comorian (Shingazidja) | - | Shimaore, Shindzwani |
| Congo Republic (53) | Monokotuba (Kikongo) | Lingala | Kunyi, Punu, Teke, Mbosi, Lobala, Likwala |
| Côte d'Ivoire (58) | - | Anyi-Baule, Dyula, Senoufo | Abe, Attie, Dan, Dida, Guro, Lobi, Mahou, Abron, Bete, Kulango, Adyukru, Soninke |
| DRC (209) | - | Lingala, Kikongo, Kiswahili, Kiluba (Luba-Katanga) | Alur, Bembe, Ebuja, Chokwe, Fuliira, Kihunde, Kanyok, Kikomo, Ngbaka, Lunda (Ruund), Kisanga, Kilega, Lendu, Logo, Tetela, Mangbetu, Mbala, Kinandi, Mongo-Nkundu, Ngando, Kinyarwanda, Mashi, Taabwa (Rungu), Zande, Chibemba, Budu, Bwa, Ikela, Lugbara, Kisonge |
| Djibouti (4) | Afar | Somali | - |
| Egypt (6) | Arabic | - | Domari, Bedawi |
| Equatorial Guinea (13) | Fang | - | Bube |
| Eritrea (11) | - | Tigrinya, Tigre | Afar, Bedawi, Kunama, Saho |
| Ethiopia (78) | Amharic | Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali | Afar, Gamo-Gofa-Awro, Gedeo (Derese), Gurage, Hadiyya, Kaficho (Kafa), Kambaata, Sidamo, Wolaytta |
| Gabon (40) | - | Fang | Mbere (Mbete), Omyene, Njembi, Punu, Teke |
| Gambia (9) | - | Mandinka (Malinke) | Fulfulde, Wolof |
| Ghana (76) | - | Akan, Ewe, Dagaare, Dagbane, Ga/Adangme | Abron, Anyin, Nzema, Sehwi, Frafra, Gonja, Kasem, Konkomba, Mampruli, Kusaal (Kusale), Buli, Sisaala |
| Guinea (23) | - | Fulfulde (Futa-Jalon), Mandinka (Malinke), Susu | Kissi, Kpelle, Dan, Mano, Loma, Yalunka, Kuranko |
| Guinea-Bissau (20) | Crioulo | Balanta, Fulfulde | Mandinka (Malinke), Manjaca, Papel, Mankanya |
| Kenya (56) | Kiswahili | Gikuyu, Luo, Kikamba, Luyia | Bukusu, Embu, Giryama, Gusii, Kalenjin, Maasai, Meru, Somali |
| Lesotho (2) | Sesotho | - | - |
| Liberia (23) | - | Pidgin | Dan, Kisi, Klao, Mano English, Kpelle, Bassa |
| Libya (7) | Arabic | - | Nafusi, Domari |
| Madagascar (4) | Malagasy | - | Bushi |
| Malawi (39) | Chichewa (Chinyanja) | Chiyao, Chitumbuka | Elomwe, Nyakyusa (Ngonde), Chisena, Chitonga |
| Mali (28) | Bambara | Songhay, Soninke, Senoufo, Fulfulde | Malinke, Arabic, Bozo, Dogon, Tamasheq, Xasonga, Bomu |
| Mauritania (6) | Hassaniyya (Arabic) | - | Fulfulde |
| Mauritius (6) | Morisyen (Creole) | Bhojpari | Hindi |
| Mayotte (4) | Shimaore | - | Bushi |
| Morocco (7) | Arabic | - | - |
| Mozambique (33) | - | Emakhuwa (incl. Elomwe, Chuabo) | Shichopi, Makonde, Marenje, Chindau, Chinyanja, Shironga, Shisena |
| Namibia (26) | Afrikaans | Owambo, (incl. Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama) | Nama, Rukwangali, Otjiherero |
| Niger (13) | Hausa | Zarma (Djerma) | Fulfulde, Tamajaq (Tamashek), Kanuri, Songhay |
| Nigeria (485) | - | Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo | Araang, Ebira, Efik, Fulfulde, Gbagyi, Isekiri, Mumunye, Ngas, Tiv, Urhobo, Ibibio, Idoma, Igala, Izon, Kanuri, Bade, Birom, Bura, (Pabir), Edo (Benin), Ekit, Esan, Gban, Gera, Goemai, Isoko, Tarok, Igede, Ikwere, Jju, Kirike, Ogbia, Bokyi, Bole, Bacama, Bariba, Bata, Bokyi, Eggon, Gun-Gbe, Kame, Mwangavul, Huba, Nigerian Pidgin |
| Reunion (3) | Reunion Creole | - | - |
| Rwanda (3) | Kinyarwanda | - | - |
| São Tomé e Príncipe (4) | Saotomense | - | - |
| Senegal (34) | Wolof | Fulfulde, Serer-Sine | Jola-Fogny, Malinke (Mandinka), Soninke |
| Seychelles (3) | Seselwa | - | - |
| Sierra Leone (22) | Krio | - | Futa-Jalon (Fulfulde), Kono, Sherbro, Kuranko, Limba, Loko, Susu |
| South Africa (23) | - | IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana | Sepedi, Shitsonga, Tshivenda, Sindebele, Siswati |
| Sudan (121) | - | Arabic, Dinka | Bedawi, Nuer, Bari, Massalit, Otuho, Shilluk, Toposa, Fur, Hausa, Kanuri, Nobiin, Kenuzi-Dongola, Zaghawa, Zande, Ama, Anuak, Didinga, Fulfulde, Katcha-Kadugli-Miri, Luwo, Moru, Murle |
| Swaziland (4) | Siswati | - | - |
| Tanzania (124) | Kiswahili | Shisukuma | Chigogo, Oruhaya, Chimakonde, Kibena, Shichagga, Giha, Kihehe, Dholuo, Maasai, Kinyamwezi, Kibena, Lugulu, Kishambala, Chitumbuka, Kinyaturu (Rimi), Ichifipa, Makhuwa, Ikinyakyusa, Chiyao |
| Togo (42) | - | Kabiye, Ewe | Akposo, Gen-Gbe, Gourna, Waci-Gbe, Moba, Losu, Tem, Fulfulde, Ntcham (Bassai) |
| Tunisia (4) | Arabic | - | - |
| Uganda (34) | - | Luganda, Kiswahili | Acholi, Alur, Lugbara, Ruchiga/Runyamkole, Lusoga, Rutooro/Runyoro, Lukenyi, Rukonjo, Lango, Lumasaaba, Teso |
| Zambia (38) | - | Chibemba, Chinyanja, Chitonga | Chikaonde, Lala-Bisa, Silozi, Ichilamba, Chilenje, Chilumba, Luvale, MambweLungu, Chinamwanga, Chinsenga, Ishinyiha, Chitumbuka |
| Zimbabwe (17) | Chishona | Sindebele | Chimanyika, Chinyanja, Chikalanga, Chindau, Chitonga |
From working with this table there are several observations:
