Standard

MR

Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Mauritania

Summary

Official Name
Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Population
4,650,000
Principal Languages
French, Standard Arabic
Literacy Rate
54% (2017 UNESCO)
International Conventions
ACHPR (1987), CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006)
General References
Applegate 1970, Gerteiny 1967, Welmers 1971b
Language Counts
The number of established languages listed for Mauritania is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 5 are indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional, 3 are developing, and 1 is dying. Also listed are 2 unestablished languages.

Languages

Arabic, Standard arb
Widespread. Users: 1,840,000 in Mauritania (2013 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Bambara bam
Users: 21,100 in Mauritania (2017). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Central, Manding-Jogo, Manding-Vai, Manding-Mokole, Manding, Manding-East, Northeastern Manding, Bamana
French fra
Widespread. Users: 662,560 in Mauritania, all users. L1 users: 6,560 in Mauritania (2020). L2 users: 656,000 (Marcoux et al 2022). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Alternate Names: Français Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Hassaniyya mey
Widespread. Users: 3,560,000 in Mauritania (2017), increasing. Total users in all countries: 4,885,400. Status: 3 (Wider communication). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Hassaniya comes from the name of the Beni Hassan tribes who invaded North Africa and settled in modern Mauritania in the 15th to 17th centuries. Used in trade and religion. Spoken throughout northwestern Africa. Alternate Names: Hasanya, Hasanya Arabic, Hassani, Hassania, Hassaniya, Hassaniyya Arabic, Klem El Bithan, Maure, Moor Autonym: Hassaniyya, حسانية‎‎‎ (Ḥassānīya) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Pulaar fuc
Brakna, Gorgol, and Trarza regions, near Senegal. Users: 267,000 in Mauritania (2017). Status: 5 (Developing). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Alternate Names: Peul Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Senegambian, Fula-Wolof, Fula, Western
Soninke snk
Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, and Guidimaka regions: Kaedi and Selibaby towns; 45 villages. Users: 219,000 in Mauritania (2017), increasing. Status: 5 (Developing). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Alternate Names: Aswanek, Aswanik, Azer, Gangara, Genger, Maraka, Marka, Sarakole, Sarakolle, Sarakule, Sarakulle, Serahule, Soninkanxanne Classification: Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Northwestern, Soninke-Bobo, Soninke-Boso, Soninke
Tamashek tmh
Users: 117,000 in Mauritania (2017). Status: Unestablished.
Wolof wol
Brakna and Trarza regions. Users: 19,300 in Mauritania (2017), increasing. Status: 5 (Dispersed). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Alternate Names: Ouolof, Volof, Walaf, Yallof Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Northern, Senegambian, Fula-Wolof, Wolof
Zenaga zen
Trarza region: Atlantic coast to Mederdra. Users: 200 in Mauritania (2018), decreasing. Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Mauritania Berber, Mauritanian Berber, Zenaga Berber Autonym: ⵜⵓⵥⵥⵓⵏⴳⵉⵢⵢⴰ‎ (Tuẓẓungiyya) Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Zenaga

Languages by Status

    Arabic, Standard
    [arb] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 6). 1,840,000 in Mauritania (2013 SIL), all users.
    French
    [fra] 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. 662,560 in Mauritania, all users. L1 users: 6,560 in Mauritania (2020). L2 users: 656,000 (Marcoux et al 2022).
    Hassaniyya
    [mey] 3 (Wider communication). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Hassaniya comes from the name of the Beni Hassan tribes who invaded North Africa and settled in modern Mauritania in the 15th to 17th centuries. Used in trade and religion. Spoken throughout northwestern Africa. 3,560,000 in Mauritania (2017), increasing. Total users in all countries: 4,885,400.
    Wolof
    [wol] 5 (Dispersed). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). 19,300 in Mauritania (2017), increasing.
    Pulaar
    [fuc] 5 (Developing). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). 267,000 in Mauritania (2017).
    Soninke
    [snk] 5 (Developing). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). 219,000 in Mauritania (2017), increasing.
    Zenaga
    [zen] 8a (Moribund). 200 in Mauritania (2018), decreasing.
    Bambara
    [bam] Unestablished. 21,100 in Mauritania (2017).
    Tamashek
    [tmh] Unestablished. 117,000 in Mauritania (2017).

Maps

  • Mauritania

Graphs

  • Language Vitality Profile

  • Language Status Profile

Resources

  • Each Ethnologue country digest is a licensed product with restricted terms of use. Before downloading the product, you must agree to the following terms:

    • This is a license for individual use. Just as with a conventionally published book, it is a violation of copyright to make a copy and give it to others.
    • You may not redistribute this work in any form, including ingesting the contents into a database that is shared with others or posting it on a web site (whether public or private).

    To inquire about permission for reuse or redistribution, please use the Contact Us form in the footer.