Réunion

Summary

Official Name: Department of Réunion
Sovereignty Status: Overseas department and integral part of France
Population: 901,700
Principal Languages: French
General References: Holm 1989
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Réunion is 3. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 1 is institutional, 1 is vigorous, and 1 is dying. Also listed are 9 unestablished languages.

Languages

Chinese, Hakka hak: Users: 11,400 in Réunion (2017). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
Chinese, Yue yue: Users: 14,000 in Réunion (2017). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
Comorian, Maore swb: Users: 1,500 in Réunion (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.44)
Comorian, Ndzwani wni: Users: 3,000 in Réunion (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.44)
Comorian, Ngazidja zdj: Users: 4,000 in Réunion (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.44)
French fra: Users: 777,000 in Réunion, all users. L1 users: 189,000 in Réunion (2019). L2 users: 588,000 (2018). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2). Alternate Names: Français Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Gujarati guj: Users: 21,000 in Réunion (2017). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Gujarati
Malagasy plt: Users: 22,800 in Réunion (2017). Status: Unestablished. Alternate Names: Malgache Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, East, Malagasy
Réunion French Creole rcf: Widespread. Users: 484,000 in Réunion (2017). Total users in all countries: 595,000. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Créole réunionnais Autonym: Kréol rénioné Classification: Creole, French based
Tamil tam: Scattered. Users: 880 in Réunion (2017). Ethnic population: 126,000 (Murugaiyan 2013). Status: 8a (Moribund). Classification: Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil

Languages by Status

1 (National)

French

[fra] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1958, French Constitution, Article 2). 777,000 in Réunion, all users. L1 users: 189,000 in Réunion (2019). L2 users: 588,000 (2018).

6a (Vigorous)

Réunion French Creole

[rcf] 6a* (Vigorous). 484,000 in Réunion (2017). Total users in all countries: 595,000.

8a (Moribund)

Tamil

[tam] 8a (Moribund). 880 in Réunion (2017). Ethnic population: 126,000 (Murugaiyan 2013).

Unestablished

Chinese, Hakka

[hak] Unestablished. 11,400 in Réunion (2017).

Chinese, Yue

[yue] Unestablished. 14,000 in Réunion (2017).

Comorian, Maore

[swb] Unestablished. 1,500 in Réunion (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).

Comorian, Ndzwani

[wni] Unestablished. 3,000 in Réunion (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).

Comorian, Ngazidja

[zdj] Unestablished. 4,000 in Réunion (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).

Gujarati

[guj] Unestablished. 21,000 in Réunion (2017).

Malagasy

[plt] Unestablished. 22,800 in Réunion (2017).

Maps

Cape Verde, Mauritius and Reunion

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Réunion with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Réunion 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 Réunion with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Réunion 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 Réunion 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 Réunion ($149.95, 20 page PDF)

Réunion

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Cape Verde, Mauritius and Reunion

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action