Languages of Guyana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Languages of Guyana | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Signs in Georgetown with text in English | |
| Official | English |
| Indigenous | Akawaio, Lokono, Atorada, Carib, Macushi, Mapidian, Patamona, Pemon, Waiwai, Wapishana, Warao |
| Vernacular | Guyanese Creole, Caribbean English |
| Minority | Guyanese Hindustani |
| Foreign | Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Tamil, Chinese |
| Signed | Guyanese Sign Language, South Rupununi Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
English is the official language of Guyana, which is the only South American country with English as the official language.[1][2]
Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole) is widely spoken in Guyana.[1]
Guyanese Hindustani is retained and spoken by some Indo-Guyanese for cultural and religious reasons. Guyanese Bhojpuri may be used by older generations, folk songs, or in a limited way at home, while standard Hindi is used in religious service, writing, and passively through the consumption of Hindi film exports from India.[3] Tamil was once spoken by a segment of the Indo-Guyanese community, although its usage has declined over generations, and it remains mostly in religious and cultural contexts.[4]
A number of Amerindian languages are also spoken by a minority of the population. These include Cariban languages such as Macushi, Akawaio and Wai-Wai; and Arawakan languages such as Lokono and Wapishana.[1][2]
