Standard

TT

Trinidad and Tobago

Summary

Official Name
Population
1,399,000
Principal Languages
English
Literacy Rate
99% (2015 World Factbook)
International Conventions
CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
General References
Hancock 1985, Mohan and Zador 1986, Winer 1993
Language Counts
The number of established languages listed for Trinidad and Tobago is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 3 are indigenous and 4 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 1 is institutional, 2 are developing, 3 are vigorous, and 1 is dying. Also listed are 5 unestablished languages.

Languages

Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc
Users: 2,600 in Trinidad and Tobago. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Chinese zho
Users: 6,500 in Trinidad and Tobago (2003 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished.
English eng
Users: 1,300,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (2011 J. Ferreira). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language, standard English in writing, education; non-standard English in informal domains, among distinct ethnic groups. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Hindustani, Sarnami hns
Scattered. Users: 15,600 in Trinidad and Tobago (2006). Ethnic population: East Indians are 41% of the population. Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Caribbean Hindustani, Sarnaanie Hiendoestaanie, Trinidad Bhojpuri, Trinidadian Bhojpuri, Trinidadian Hindustani Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bihari
Lesser Antillean French Creole acf
Trinidad: Diego Martin municipality, peninsular coastal settlements north of the capital. Users: 4,100 in Trinidad and Tobago (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity. Status: 5 (Developing). Alternate Names: Créole, French Creole, French-lexicon Creole, French-lexified Creole, Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa Classification: Creole, French based
Spanish spa
Trinidad: Siparia municipality, southern peninsula, fishing villages. Users: 70,400 in Trinidad and Tobago, all users. L1 users: 4,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (Instituto Cervantes 2019). L2 users: 66,400 (Instituto Cervantes 2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
Tobagonian English Creole tgh
Widespread. Users: 300,000 (2011 J. Ferreira). Status: 6a (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in Tobago. Alternate Names: Tobagonian Dialect Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern
Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language lst
Scattered. Users: 1,360 (2019 B. Braithwaite). Estimate based on 0.1% of the general population. Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: TSL, TTSL, Trinidad Sign Language, Trinidadian Sign Language Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Trinidadian English Creole trf
Trinidad. Users: 1,000,000 (2011 J. Ferreira). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of national identity. Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern

Languages by Status

    English
    [eng] 1 (National). De facto national language, standard English in writing, education; non-standard English in informal domains, among distinct ethnic groups. 1,300,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (2011 J. Ferreira).
    Spanish
    [spa] 5* (Dispersed). 70,400 in Trinidad and Tobago, all users. L1 users: 4,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (Instituto Cervantes 2019). L2 users: 66,400 (Instituto Cervantes 2019).
    Lesser Antillean French Creole
    [acf] 5 (Developing). 4,100 in Trinidad and Tobago (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
    Tobagonian English Creole
    [tgh] 6a (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in Tobago. 300,000 (2011 J. Ferreira).
    Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language
    [lst] 6a (Vigorous). 1,360 (2019 B. Braithwaite). Estimate based on 0.1% of the general population.
    Trinidadian English Creole
    [trf] 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of national identity. 1,000,000 (2011 J. Ferreira).
    Hindustani, Sarnami
    [hns] 8a (Moribund). 15,600 in Trinidad and Tobago (2006). Ethnic population: East Indians are 41% of the population.
    Arabic, North Levantine Spoken
    [apc] Unestablished. 2,600 in Trinidad and Tobago.
    Chinese
    [zho] Unestablished. 6,500 in Trinidad and Tobago (2003 J. Leclerc).

Maps

  • Creole Languages of the Eastern Caribbean

Graphs

  • Language Vitality Profile

  • Language Status Profile

Resources

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