Languages of Mauritius
Encyclopedia
The official language of Mauritius
is English
. However, the majority language and lingua franca of the country is the French based
Mauritian Creole
. French
is also a common language in education and the dominant language of media. According to the OIF, 72.7% of the Mauritians were French speakers in 2005.
Being both an English-speaking and French-speaking nation, Mauritius is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations
and the Francophonie.
Mauritian Créole, which is spoken by 90 percent of the population, is considered to be the native language of the country and is used most often in informal settings. It was developed in the 18th century by slaves who used a pidgin language to communicate with each other as well as with their French masters, who did not understand the various African languages. The pidgin evolved with later generations to become a casual language. Mauritian Creole is a French-based creole due to its close ties with French pronunciation and vocabulary.
Mauritian Creole
is similar in pronunciation to French, but with a few marked differences - Creole does not contain the post-alveolar fricatives and front
rounded vowels that French does
It is only in the Parliament
that the official language is English but any member of the National Assembly can still address the chair in French. However, English is generally accepted as the official language of Mauritius and as the language of government administration and the court business. The lingua franca
is Creole.
In Mauritius, people switch languages according to the situation. Creole and Bhojpuri are the main languages used at home, both French and Creole are used in a business context and English is used most in schools and governments. French and English, which have long enjoyed greater social status, are favored in educational and professional settings. Also, most newspapers and media communications are in French. American and other English-language movies and TV programmes shown in Mauritius are conventionally dubbed into French. When Franco-Mauritian
s engage in conversations with Creole speakers, French is more commonly employed than Creole.
Other languages spoken in Mauritius include Hindi
, Tamil
, Telugu
, Marathi
, Urdu
, Hakka (a Chinese dialect), Mandarin, Gujarati
, and Bhojpuri
, which is an amalgamation of several Indian dialects spoken by the early Indian settlers. Most Mauritians are at least bilingual, if not trilingual. The earliest builders brought by the French were the Tamils
of Indian origin, who were employed to build Port Louis, the capital. Subsequently, around hundred years later, laborers from other parts of British India
were brought by the British. Arabic is taught in Mosques around Mauritius.
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
is English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. However, the majority language and lingua franca of the country is the French based
French-based creole languages
A French Creole, or French-based Creole language, is a creole language based on the French language, more specifically on a 17th century koiné French extant in Paris, the French Atlantic harbors, and the nascent French colonies...
Mauritian Creole
Mauritian Creole
Mauritian Creole is a French-based creole language spoken in Mauritius. In addition to the French base of the language, there are also some words from English and from the many African and Asian languages that have been spoken on the island.- Sociolinguistic Situation :Mauritian Creole is the...
. 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...
is also a common language in education and the dominant language of media. According to the OIF, 72.7% of the Mauritians were French speakers in 2005.
Being both an English-speaking and French-speaking nation, Mauritius is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and the Francophonie.
Mauritian Créole, which is spoken by 90 percent of the population, is considered to be the native language of the country and is used most often in informal settings. It was developed in the 18th century by slaves who used a pidgin language to communicate with each other as well as with their French masters, who did not understand the various African languages. The pidgin evolved with later generations to become a casual language. Mauritian Creole is a French-based creole due to its close ties with French pronunciation and vocabulary.
Mauritian Creole
Mauritian Creole
Mauritian Creole is a French-based creole language spoken in Mauritius. In addition to the French base of the language, there are also some words from English and from the many African and Asian languages that have been spoken on the island.- Sociolinguistic Situation :Mauritian Creole is the...
is similar in pronunciation to French, but with a few marked differences - Creole does not contain the post-alveolar fricatives and front
Front vowel
A front vowel is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The defining characteristic of a front vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far in front as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant. Front vowels are sometimes also...
rounded vowels that French does
It is only in the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
that the official language is English but any member of the National Assembly can still address the chair in French. However, English is generally accepted as the official language of Mauritius and as the language of government administration and the court business. The lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
is Creole.
In Mauritius, people switch languages according to the situation. Creole and Bhojpuri are the main languages used at home, both French and Creole are used in a business context and English is used most in schools and governments. French and English, which have long enjoyed greater social status, are favored in educational and professional settings. Also, most newspapers and media communications are in French. American and other English-language movies and TV programmes shown in Mauritius are conventionally dubbed into French. When Franco-Mauritian
Franco-Mauritian
Franco-Mauritians are people of mainly French origin who reside in Mauritius. They number more than 24,000.-Origins:The first French settlers arrived in Mauritius in 1722, after the previous attempts of settlement by the Dutch had failed, and the island had once again become abandoned...
s engage in conversations with Creole speakers, French is more commonly employed than Creole.
Other languages spoken in Mauritius include Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Hakka (a Chinese dialect), Mandarin, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, and Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri language
Bhojpuri is a language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. It is spoken in the western part of state of Bihar, the northwestern part of Jharkhand, and the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh , as well as adjoining parts of the Nepal Terai. Bhojpuri is also spoken in Guyana,...
, which is an amalgamation of several Indian dialects spoken by the early Indian settlers. Most Mauritians are at least bilingual, if not trilingual. The earliest builders brought by the French were the Tamils
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
of Indian origin, who were employed to build Port Louis, the capital. Subsequently, around hundred years later, laborers from other parts of British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
were brought by the British. Arabic is taught in Mosques around Mauritius.