imported>Bargasha: Like most Arabic speaking countries, the spoken language is considered a dialect of Arabic, and not a separate language

2025-06-18T21:18:02Z

Like most Arabic speaking countries, the spoken language is considered a dialect of Arabic, and not a separate language

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{{Short description|none}} 
{{Languages of
| country = Chad
|image= Faculté de droit et sciences économiques - université de N'Djaména (2019).png
|caption=Signage in French and Arabic at the [[University of N'Djamena]]
| official = [[Arabic]], [[French language|French]]
|vernacular=[[African French#Français populaire africain|Français populaire africain]], [[Chadian Arabic]]
| indigenous = [[Chadic languages]], [[Nilo-Saharan languages]], [[Adamawa languages]]
| foreign = [[English language|English]]
| sign = [[Nigerian Sign Language]]
|keyboard =French [[AZERTY]]
|keyboard image = [[File:KB France.svg|200px]]
}}
{{Culture of Chad}}
[[Chad]] has two official languages, [[Arabic]] and [[French language|French]], and over 120 indigenous languages. A vernacular version of Arabic, [[Chadian Arabic]], is a [[lingua franca]] and the language of commerce, spoken by 40–60% of the population.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.graphicmaps.com/chad/languages |title=Chad's Languages - GraphicMaps.com |website=www.graphicmaps.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706161936/https://www.graphicmaps.com/chad/languages |archive-date=2020-07-06}} </ref> French is widely spoken in the main cities such as N'Djamena and by most men in the south of the country. Most schooling is in French.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expat-quotes.com/guides/chad/education/international-schools-in-chad.htm#:~:text=The%20educational%20system%20is%20patterned,secondary%20education%20(six%20years).|title = International Schools in Chad}}</ref> The language with the most first-language speakers is probably [[Ngambay language|Ngambay]], with around one million speakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://morkegbooks.com/Services/World/Languages/SaraBagirmi|title=Sara Bagirmi Languages Project|first=John M.|last=Keegan|year=2017}}</ref>

In April 2005 Chad joined the Arab League as an observer, before submitting an application to join the [[Arab League]] as a [[Member states of the Arab League|member state]] on 25 March 2014, <ref>[[Middle East Monitor]]: [https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20140412-south-sudan-and-chad-apply-to-join-the-arab-league ''South Sudan and Chad apply to join the Arab League''], 12 April 2014, retrieved 6 May 2017</ref> which was still pending in 2025.

[[Chadian Sign Language]] is a variant of [[Nigerian Sign Language]], a dialect of [[American Sign Language]]; [[Andrew Foster (educator)|Andrew Foster]] introduced ASL in the 1960s, and Chadian teachers for the deaf train in Nigeria.

== Niger–Congo languages ==
*[[Adamawa languages]]
**[[Goundo language|Goundo]]
**[[Kim language|Kim]] (15,354, [[Census|RGPH]] 1993)
**[[Moundang language|Moundang]] (160,000, RGPH 1993)
**[[Toupouri language|Toupouri]] (90,785, RGPH, 1993)
**[[Bua languages]]: [[Bua language|Bua]], [[Niellim language|Niellim]], [[Gula Iro language|Gula Iro]], etc. (total < 30,000)

== Nilo-Saharan languages==

*[[Maban languages]]
**[[Maba language|Maba]] (120,000, [[SIL International|SIL]] 1991)
**[[Massalit language|Massalit]] (50,857, RGPH 1993)
**[[Karanga language|Karanga]]
**[[Kendeje language|Kendeje]]
**[[Marfa language|Marfa]]
**[[Massalat language|Massalat]]
**[[Surbakhal language|Surbakhal]]
**[[Kibet language|Kibet]]
**[[Runga language|Runga]]
*[[Fur languages]]
**[[Mimi language|Mimi]]
**[[Amdang language|Amdang]] (5,000, Bender 1983)
*[[Saharan languages]]
**[[Teda language|Tedaga]]
**[[Dazaga language|Dazaga]]
**[[Kanembu language|Kanembu]]
**[[Zaghawa language|Zaghawa]]
*[[Bongo–Bagirmi languages]] (Central Sudanic)
**[[Morom language|Bernde (Morom)]]
**[[Bagirmi language|Bagirmi (Barma)]] (44,761, RGPH 1993)
**[[Beraku language|Berakou]]
**[[Disa language|Disa]]
**[[Gulay language|Gula]]
**[[Jaya language|Jaya]]
**[[Kenga language|Kenga]] (30,000, SIL 1993)
**[[Naba language|Naba]]
**[[Fongoro language|Fongoro]]
**[[Ngambay language|Ngambay]]
**[[Sar language|Sara (Madjingay)]] (183,471, RGPH 1993)
*[[Sinyar language|Sinyar]]
*[[Eastern Sudanic languages]]
**[[Tama language|Tama]] (63,000)
**[[Sungor language|Sungor]] (38,000)
**[[Mararit language|Mararit]] (43,000)
**[[Daju languages|Daju]]

== Afro-Asiatic languages==

*[[Semitic languages]]
**[[Bongor Arabic]] (pidgin)
**[[Chadian Arabic]]
*[[Chadic languages]]
**[[Bidiyo language|Bidiyo]]
**[[Buduma language|Buduma]]
**[[Dangaléat language|Dangaléat]]
**[[Southern Gabri language|Gabri]]
**Herdé
**[[Kabalai language|Kabalai]]
**[[Kera language|Kera]]
**[[Kimré language|Kimré]]
**[[Kwang language|Kwang]]
**[[Lele language (Chad)|Lele]]
**[[Marba language|Marba]]
**[[Masana language|Masana]]
**[[Masmaje language|Masmaje]]
**[[Mesme language|Mesme]]
**[[Migaama language|Migaama]]
**[[Mubi language|Mubi]]
**[[Musey language|Musey]]
**[[Musgu language|Musgu]]
**[[Nancere language|Nancere]]
**[[Peve language|Pévé]]
**[[Sokoro language|Sokoro]]
**[[Tobanga language|Tobanga]]
**[[Tumak language|Tumak]]
(''Ethnologue'' lists 54 Chadic languages in Chad altogether, many of them small.)

==Creole languages==
*[[Sango language|Sango]]

==Unclassified languages==
* [[Laal language|Laal]] (749, SIL 2000)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=TD ''Ethnologue'' page on "Languages of Chad"]
*[http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Chad PanAfrican L10n page on Chad]

{{Languages of Chad}}
{{Africa in topic|Languages of}}

[[Category:Languages of Chad| ]]

Languages of Chad - Revision history

imported>Bargasha: Like most Arabic speaking countries, the spoken language is considered a dialect of Arabic, and not a separate language