Tamil

A language of India

Andhra Pradesh state: Chittoor and Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore districts, east Puducherry enclaves; Karnataka state: Chamarajana district; Kerala state: south; assorted border areas; Tamil Nadu state.

Also spoken in:

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Australia

Language NameTamil

User Population

73,200 in Australia (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Bahrain

Language NameTamil

User Population

18,700 in Bahrain (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Canada

Language NameTamil

User Population

141,000 in Canada (2016 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Denmark

Language NameTamil

User Population

9,000 in Denmark.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Fiji

Language NameTamil

User Population

77,000 in Fiji (2019).

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

Home. All also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Finland

Language NameTamil

User Population

1,920 in Finland (2018 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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France

Language NameTamil

User Population

125,000 in France (Murugaiyan 2013).

Location

Paris; major cities.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Germany

Language NameTamil

User Population

35,000 in Germany.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Guadeloupe

Language NameTamil

User Population

4,400 in Guadeloupe (2008 J. Leclerc).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Malaysia

Language NameTamil

User Population

1,890,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.

Location

Widespread: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Putrajaya, Selangor, and Terengganu states.

Language Status

4 (Educational). Statutory language of national identity (1996, Education Act, No. 550, Articles 2 and 18).

Language Use

Also use English [eng]. Also use Malay [zlm]. Used as L2 by Standard Malay [zsm].

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools through grade 6 and as subject thereafter.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Mauritius

Language NameTamil

User Population

1,100 in Mauritius (Leclerc 2018c).

Location

Flacq, Plaines Wilhems, and Savanne districts.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Language Use

Government, politics.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Hindu.

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Myanmar

Language NameTamil

User Population

151,000 in Myanmar (Leclerc 2017b).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Netherlands

Language NameTamil

User Population

20,800 in Netherlands (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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New Zealand

Language NameTamil

User Population

6,840 in New Zealand (2013 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Oman

Language NameTamil

User Population

23,700 in Oman (2020).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Pakistan

Language NameTamil

User Population

2,000 in Pakistan (2020 BBC).

Location

Sindh province: Karachi, Korangi, Madrasi Para, and Tri Road.

Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Language Use

Some young people, all adults. Most also use Urdu [urd], outside the Tamil community.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Hindu.

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Qatar

Language NameTamil

User Population

27,800 in Qatar (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Réunion

Language NameTamil

User Population

880 in Réunion (2017).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

8a (Moribund).

Language Use

Shifted to French [fra]. Shifted to Réunion French Creole [rcf].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. 90% describe themselves as Indian origin. Hindu.

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Saudi Arabia

Language NameTamil

User Population

433,000 in Saudi Arabia (2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Singapore

Language NameTamil

User Population

186,000 in Singapore (2016 census).

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (1963, Constitution (amended), Article 153A(1)).

Language Use

Also use English [eng].

Language Development

Taught in all primary schools in early grades only. Taught as subject in secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Hindu.

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South Africa

Language NameTamil

User Population

32,000 in South Africa (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Ethnic population: 1,030,000 (2012 J. Leclerc).

Location

KwaZulu-Natal province.

Language Status

4 (Educational).

Language Development

Taught as subject in secondary schools, reinstated as a third language option in the schools of Kwa-Zulu Natal province in 2014.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sri Lanka

Language NameTamil

User Population

5,540,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).

Location

Anurdhapura district: north and southwest; Batticaloa, south Baddulla, Galle, Jaffna, west Kandy, Matale, Mannar, northwest Moneragala, Mullaitivu, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya districts.

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution (amended), Articles 22(1), 24(1)), concentrated in North and East provinces; also in local administration and courts elsewhere.

Other Comments

Hindu, Muslim.

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Thailand

Language NameTamil

User Population

38,000 in Thailand (Leclerc 2019a), based on ethnicity.

Location

Scattered in Chiang Mai, Krung Thep, and Phuket provinces.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United Arab Emirates

Language NameTamil

User Population

400,000 in United Arab Emirates (Rajan and Rajan 2019).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United Kingdom

Language NameTamil

User Population

101,000 in United Kingdom (2011 census).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United States

Language NameTamil

User Population

191,000 in United States (2015 census).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Most also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of United States

Tamil

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A language of India

Also spoken in:

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