Languages of Benin
Encyclopedia
The official language of Benin
is French
. However, many other African languages are spoken. Fon
and Yoruba
are the most important in southern Benin. In the north there are at least six major tribal languages, including Baatonum
(a subgroup of the Voltaic group in which the Mossi language is most important) and Fula
.
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. However, many other African languages are spoken. Fon
Fon language
Fon is part of the Gbe language cluster and belongs to the Volta–Niger branch of the Niger–Congo languages. Fon is spoken mainly in Benin by approximately 1.7 million speakers, by the Fon people...
and Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
are the most important in southern Benin. In the north there are at least six major tribal languages, including Baatonum
Baatonum language
Bariba, also known as Baatonum is the language of the Bariba people of Benin and Nigeria and had been the language of the state of Borgu. It is not closely related to other languages.-Bibliography:* , Ethnologue report-External links:* at WolframAlpha...
(a subgroup of the Voltaic group in which the Mossi language is most important) and Fula
Fula language
The Fula or Fulani language is a language of West Africa. It is spoken as a first language by the and related groups from Senegambia and Guinea to Cameroon and Sudan...
.