Uruguay

Summary

Official Name
Population: 3,485,000
Principal Languages: Spanish
Literacy Rate: 99% (2018 UNESCO)
International Conventions: CDE (1960), CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
Deaf Population: 7,000–30,000
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Uruguay is 6. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 5 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 1 is institutional and 5 are developing. Also listed are 6 unestablished languages.

Languages

English eng: Montevideo, Paysandú, and Río Negro counties. Users: 832,000 in Uruguay, all users. L1 users: 2,000 in Uruguay (2016). L2 users: 830,000 (2019 census). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
French fra: Users: 20,500 in Uruguay (2018). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Galician glg: Users: 40,900 in Uruguay (2016). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
German, Standard deu: Montevideo and Paysandú departments. Users: 30,600 in Uruguay (2016). Ethnic population: 40,000 (2017). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Alemán, Deutsch Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German
Greek ell: Users: 14,300 in Uruguay (2016). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic
Italian ita: Users: 89,900 in Uruguay (2016). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian
Plautdietsch pdt: Users: 2,000 in Uruguay (Salminen 2007). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
Portuguese por: Users: 30,600 in Uruguay (2016). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Portugués del Uruguay, Portunhol, Portuñol, Uruguayan Portuguese Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
Russian rus: Users: 14,300 in Uruguay (2016 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Balto-Slavic, Slavic, East
Spanish spa: Users: 3,485,700 in Uruguay, all users. L1 users: 3,430,000 in Uruguay (Instituto Cervantes 2019). L2 users: 55,700 (Instituto Cervantes 2019). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Alternate Names: Español Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
Uruguayan Sign Language ugy: Scattered. Users: 7,000 (Belloso 2009). Approximately 0.2% of total population. Status: 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2001, Law no. 17.378). Alternate Names: LSU, Lengua de Señas Uruguaya Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Yiddish, Eastern ydd: Scattered. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, Yiddish

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Spanish

[spa] 1 (National). De facto national language. 3,485,700 in Uruguay, all users. L1 users: 3,430,000 in Uruguay (Instituto Cervantes 2019). L2 users: 55,700 (Instituto Cervantes 2019).

5 (Dispersed)

English

[eng] 5* (Dispersed). 832,000 in Uruguay, all users. L1 users: 2,000 in Uruguay (2016). L2 users: 830,000 (2019 census).

German, Standard

[deu] 5* (Dispersed). 30,600 in Uruguay (2016). Ethnic population: 40,000 (2017).

Portuguese

[por] 5* (Dispersed). 30,600 in Uruguay (2016).

Yiddish, Eastern

[ydd] 5* (Dispersed).

5 (Developing)

Uruguayan Sign Language

[ugy] 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2001, Law no. 17.378). 7,000 (Belloso 2009). Approximately 0.2% of total population.

Unestablished

French

[fra] Unestablished. 20,500 in Uruguay (2018).

Galician

[glg] Unestablished. 40,900 in Uruguay (2016).

Greek

[ell] Unestablished. 14,300 in Uruguay (2016).

Italian

[ita] Unestablished. 89,900 in Uruguay (2016).

Plautdietsch

[pdt] Unestablished. 2,000 in Uruguay (Salminen 2007).

Russian

[rus] Unestablished. 14,300 in Uruguay (2016 J. Leclerc).

Maps

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Uruguay with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Uruguay 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 Uruguay with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Uruguay 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 Uruguay 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 Uruguay ($149.95, 21 page PDF)

Uruguay

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action