São Tomé e Príncipe

Summary

Official Name: Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
Population: 217,200
Principal Languages: Portuguese
Literacy Rate: 93% (2018 UNESCO)
International Conventions: ACHPR (1987), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006)
General References: Holm 1989, Lorenzino 1999, Maurer 1995
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for São Tomé e Príncipe is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 3 are indigenous and 4 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 2 are institutional, 3 are in trouble, and 2 are dying. Also listed is 1 unestablished language.

Languages

Angolar aoa: São Tomé province: most spoken in Caué district, in particular São João dos Angolares. Also spoken in Santa Catarina, Lembá district (2020 M. Bouchard). Users: 7,900 (2019 D. Eberhard), based on survey of Angolar communities in Caué and Lembá districts. Ethnic population: 12,000 (2019 D. Eberhard), based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus estimates from community leaders for each district. Status: 6b (Threatened). Autonym: Ngola Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
English eng: Users: 10,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2018 World Factbook). Status: Unestablished. Alternate Names: Inglês Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
French fra: Scattered. Users: 42,200 in São Tomé e Príncipe (Beck et al 2018), L2 users. Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Inglês Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Kabuverdianu kea: Highest concentration in Príncipe province. Others scattered throughout São Tomé province. Users: 17,500 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Based on 2012 census with extrapolations for 2019. Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high rate of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard). Status: 6b (Threatened). Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
Kimbundu kmb: São Tomé province: Água Grande (town of Bairro da Liberdade), Lobata (town of Agostinho Neto), and Mé Zóxi (town of Monte Café) districts. Users: 160 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Ethnic population: 3,000 (2019 D. Eberhard). Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Tonga Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, H, Kimbundu (H.21)
Portuguese por: Users: 197,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe, all users. L1 users: 68,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2016 World Factbook). L2 users: 129,000 (2016 World Factbook). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Alternate Names: Português Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
Principense pre: Príncipe province. Users: 200 (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). No monolinguals (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high degree of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard). Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Dialeto, Lun’gwiye Autonym: Lung’Ie Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
Sãotomense cri: North side of São Tomé island, spoken mostly in the districts of Agua Grande, Cantagalo, Lobata, and Me-Zóxi. Users: 45,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus adjustments made by Ministry of Culture. Ethnic population: Current estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high rate of mixed marriages and increased shift to a national identity. Traditonally, the language community (the Forro) considered the largest ethnicity in the country with a size at least 10 times that of the Angolar community (2020 M. Bouchard). Total users in all countries: 55,600. Status: 7 (Shifting). De facto language of provincial identity in São Tomé Island except south tip. Alternate Names: Dialeto, Forro, Fôlô, Lungwa santome, Santomense, Santomé, São Tomense Autonym: Sãotomense Classification: Creole, Portuguese based

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Portuguese

[por] 1 (National). De facto national language. 197,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe, all users. L1 users: 68,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2016 World Factbook). L2 users: 129,000 (2016 World Factbook).

4 (Educational)

French

[fra] 4 (Educational). 42,200 in São Tomé e Príncipe (Beck et al 2018), L2 users.

6b (Threatened)

Angolar

[aoa] 6b (Threatened). 7,900 (2019 D. Eberhard), based on survey of Angolar communities in Caué and Lembá districts. Ethnic population: 12,000 (2019 D. Eberhard), based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus estimates from community leaders for each district.

Kabuverdianu

[kea] 6b (Threatened). 17,500 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Based on 2012 census with extrapolations for 2019. Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high rate of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard).

7 (Shifting)

Sãotomense

[cri] 7 (Shifting). De facto language of provincial identity in São Tomé Island except south tip. 45,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus adjustments made by Ministry of Culture. Ethnic population: Current estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high rate of mixed marriages and increased shift to a national identity. Traditonally, the language community (the Forro) considered the largest ethnicity in the country with a size at least 10 times that of the Angolar community (2020 M. Bouchard). Total users in all countries: 55,600.

8a (Moribund)

Kimbundu

[kmb] 8a (Moribund). 160 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2019 D. Eberhard). Ethnic population: 3,000 (2019 D. Eberhard).

8b (Nearly extinct)

Principense

[pre] 8b (Nearly extinct). 200 (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). No monolinguals (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high degree of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard).

Unestablished

English

[eng] Unestablished. 10,000 in São Tomé e Príncipe (2018 World Factbook).

Maps

Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Príncipe
Sao Tome & Principe

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in São Tomé e Príncipe with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for São Tomé e Príncipe 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 São Tomé e Príncipe with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for São Tomé e Príncipe 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 São Tomé e Príncipe 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 São Tomé e Príncipe ($149.95, 23 page PDF)

São Tomé e Príncipe

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Príncipe

Sao Tome & Principe

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action