Tunisia
PrintPrimary tabs
Arabic, Algerian Saharan Spoken
[aao] Users: 68,000 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Algerian Spoken
[arq] Users: 268,000 in Tunisia (2016). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Libyan Spoken
[ayl] Users: 293,000 in Tunisia (2016). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
[apc] Users: 23,000 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Standard
[arb] Users: 8,790,000 in Tunisia (2014 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1959, Constitution, Article 1). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Tunisian Spoken
[aeb] Widespread. Users: 10,800,000 in Tunisia (2014 census). Total users in all countries: 11,709,020. Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Alternate Names: Tunisian, Tunisian Arabic, Tunisian Darija. Autonym: Derja, تونسي (Tounsi). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
English
[eng] Users: 1,721,500 in Tunisia, all users. L1 users: 1,500 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 1,720,000 (Ramaswami et al 2012). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.
French
[fra] Widespread. Users: 6,081,200 in Tunisia, all users. L1 users: 1,200 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 6,080,000 (Beck et al 2018). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Français. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.
Ghadamès
[gha] Users: 3,100 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Northern, Zenati, East.
Italian
[ita] Users: 1,100 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.
Lingua Franca
[pml] Tunis governorate; other major Mediterranean ports. Users: No known L1 speakers. The last speakers probably survived into the 1850s (Holm 1989). Status: 10 (Extinct). Alternate Names: ’Ajnabi, Aljamia, Ferenghi, Petit Mauresque, Sabir. Classification: Pidgin, Romance based.
Maltese
[mlt] Users: 3,400 in Tunisia (2015 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Sened
[sds] Qafsah governorate: Sened and Tmagourt villages, northwest of Gabès. Users: No known L1 speakers. The last speakers probably survived into the 1970s. Status: 10 (Extinct). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Northern, Zenati, East.
Shilha
[jbn] Madanin governorate: Ajim, Djerba island, Guellala, and Sedouikech; Qabis governorate: Matmata, Tamezret, Taoujjout, and Zraoua; Qibili governorate: Douiret, Chenini, and Tataouine; Tunis city. Users: 50,000 in Tunisia (2004 S. Chaker). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Djerbi, Jabal Nafusi, Nafusi, Tunisian Berber. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Northern, Zenati, East.
Tunisian Sign Language
[tse] Scattered, especially Tunis and Sfax. Users: 21,200 (2008 WFD). Approximately 0.2% of total population. Another estimate: 53,000 deaf (2014 IMB). Status: 5 (Developing). Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language.