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Index / Languages
  Mauritania /
Languages
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Languages
Figures in 1000. |
Arabic
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2,900 |
94.0% |
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Hassaniya
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2,900 |
94.0% |
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Imraguen
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0.8 |
<0.1% |
Pulaar
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150 |
4.8% |
Soninke
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30 |
1.0% |
Wolof
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20 |
0.6% |
Islamic manuscripts from the library of Chinguetti.
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Moors speak Hassaniya Arabic, which is a form of Arabic with many Berber words. The grammar, however, is mainly Arabic. Hassaniya Arabic is one of Mauritania's 2 official languages.
French is the second official language of Mauritania. Both French and Arabic are widely used in schools and universties, as well as in media and administration. There are no reports on French being used as first language.
The language of Imraguen is here placed under Arabic, but is actually a unique language to Mauritanian and unclassified. It is related to Hassaniya Arabic structured on Soninke, and spoken by the indigenous population of Banc d'Arguin (south of Nouadhibou).
Tukolor and Fulani peoples speak Pulaar (also called Fulfulde), while the Soninke speak Soninke and the Wolof speak Wolof. All these languages are national languages of Mauritania since 1991.
© Copyright 1996-2009 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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