Cyprus

Summary

Official Name: Republic of Cyprus
Population: 1,207,000
General Remarks: Two small coastal enclaves of Cyprus are British military bases, sovereign soil of the United Kingdom. The border between the Greek and Turkish sectors is a buffer strip, administered by the United Nations
Principal Languages: Greek
Literacy Rate: 99% (2015 World Factbook)
International Conventions: CDE (1960), CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ECRML (1992), FCPNM (1998), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
General References: Borg 1985
Deaf Population: 49,300
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Cyprus is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 2 are indigenous and 5 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 4 are institutional, 1 is developing, and 2 are in trouble. Also listed are 12 unestablished languages.

Languages

Arabic, Cypriot Spoken acy: Kyrenia district: north shore; Limassol district: south shore; Lefkosia district: Kormakiti, Nicosia city, and Peristonem; several Maronite mountain villages. Mainly urban communities. Users: 9,760 (2013 UNSD). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Cypriot Maronite Arabic, Kormakiti, Maronite Autonym: Sanna Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Armenian, Western hyw: Major cities. Users: 1,410 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Indo-European, Armenian
Bulgarian bul: Users: 18,400 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, South, Eastern
Chinese zho: Users: 1,220 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: Unestablished.
English eng: Users: 902,800 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 34,800 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 868,000 (European Commission 2012). Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Ingilizce Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
French fra: Scattered. Users: 81,840 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 1,140 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 80,700 (Marcoux et al 2022). Status: 4 (Educational). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
German, Standard deu: Users: 23,090 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 1,290 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 21,800 (2018 Eurostat). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Deutsch Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German
Greek ell: Larnaka, Lefkosia, Limassol, and Pafos districts (southern Cyprus). Users: 1,168,500 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 1,110,000 in Cyprus (European Commission 2012). L2 users: 58,500 (European Commission 2012). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1960, Constitution, Article 3(1)). Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic
Polish pol: Users: 2,810 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, West, Lechitic
Romanian ron: Users: 24,300 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern
Russian rus: Users: 50,000 in Cyprus (2019 IMB). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East
Sinhala sin: Users: 7,160 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Southern, Sinhalese-Maldivian
Spanish spa: Users: 17,120 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 520 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 16,600 (2018). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
Tagalog tgl: Users: 9,110 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Central Philippine, Central Philippine, Tagalog
Turkish tur: Famagusta and Kyrenia cities. Users: 300,000 in Cyprus (2016). 300,000 speakers in Northern Cyprus. 1,410 Turkish speakers in the Republic of Cyprus (2013 UNSD). Status: 2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in Northern Cyprus. Alternate Names: Osmanli, Türkçe Classification: Turkic, Southern, Turkish

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Greek

[ell] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1960, Constitution, Article 3(1)). 1,168,500 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 1,110,000 in Cyprus (European Commission 2012). L2 users: 58,500 (European Commission 2012).

2 (Provincial)

Turkish

[tur] 2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in Northern Cyprus. 300,000 in Cyprus (2016). 300,000 speakers in Northern Cyprus. 1,410 Turkish speakers in the Republic of Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

4 (Educational)

English

[eng] 4 (Educational). 902,800 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 34,800 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 868,000 (European Commission 2012).

French

[fra] 4 (Educational). 81,840 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 1,140 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 80,700 (Marcoux et al 2022).

5 (Dispersed)

German, Standard

[deu] 5* (Dispersed). 23,090 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 1,290 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 21,800 (2018 Eurostat).

7 (Shifting)

Arabic, Cypriot Spoken

[acy] 7 (Shifting). 9,760 (2013 UNSD).

Armenian, Western

[hyw] 7 (Shifting). 1,410 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Unestablished

Bulgarian

[bul] Unestablished. 18,400 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Chinese

[zho] Unestablished. 1,220 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Polish

[pol] Unestablished. 2,810 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Romanian

[ron] Unestablished. 24,300 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Russian

[rus] Unestablished. 50,000 in Cyprus (2019 IMB).

Sinhala

[sin] Unestablished. 7,160 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Spanish

[spa] Unestablished. 17,120 in Cyprus, all users. L1 users: 520 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD). L2 users: 16,600 (2018).

Tagalog

[tgl] Unestablished. 9,110 in Cyprus (2013 UNSD).

Maps

Cyprus

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Cyprus with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Cyprus is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of vitality. The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level.
The vitality levels and the color coding of the bars match the scheme used in the guide on How many languages are endangered? In this scheme, the levels and colors are as follows:
- Dark green = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Light green = Stable (EGIDS 5-6a) — The language is not being sustained by formal institutions, but It is still the norm in the home and community that all children learn and use the language.
- Red = Endangered (EGIDS 6b-9) — It is no longer the norm that children learn and use this language.
These three summary levels have been derived by grouping levels in the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS), which is the more fine-grained scale that Ethnologue uses to assess the status of every language in terms of development versus endangerment; see the Language Status page for a description of the levels of that scale. See also the pages on Development and Endangerment for more discussion.
Language Status Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Cyprus with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Cyprus is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of development or endangerment as measured on the EGIDS scale. (See the pages on Development and Endangerment for a fuller explanation.) The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level. Consult the Status listings for Cyprus in order to see the specific languages for each level.
The color coding of the bars matches the color scheme used in the summary profile graphs on the navigation maps for the site. In this scheme, the EGIDS levels are grouped as follows:
- Purple = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Blue = Developing (EGIDS 5) — The language is in vigorous use, with literature in a standardized form being used by some though this is not yet widespread or sustainable.
- Green = Vigorous (EGIDS 6a) — The language is unstandardized and in vigorous use among all generations.
- Yellow = In trouble (EGIDS 6b-7) — Intergenerational transmission is in the process of being broken, but the child-bearing generation can still use the language so it is possible that revitalization efforts could restore transmission of the language in the home.
- Red = Dying (EGIDS 8a-9) — The only fluent users (if any) are older than child-bearing age, so it is too late to restore natural intergenerational transmission through the home; a mechanism outside the home would need to be developed.
- Black = Extinct (EGIDS 10) — The language has fallen completely out of use and no one retains a sense of ethnic identity associated with the language.

Resources

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Digest of the languages of Cyprus ($149.95, 24 page PDF)

Cyprus

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Cyprus

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action