Languages of Gibraltar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: Demographics of Gibraltar
| Languages of Gibraltar | |
| Official languages | English |
| Significant unofficial languages | Spanish |
| Vernacular | Llanito |
| Main foreign languages | Maghrebi Arabic, Sindhi, Hindi, Maltese |
| Gibraltar |
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As a British overseas territory, the sole official language of Gibraltar is English, and it is used by the Government and in schools. Most locals are bilingual, also speaking Spanish, due to Gibraltar's proximity to Spain. Most Gibraltarians converse in Llanito, an Andalusian Spanish based creole. However, because of the varied mix of ethnic groups which reside there, other languages are spoken on The Rock. Arabic is spoken by the Moroccan community, just like Hindi and Sindhi is spoken by the Indian community of Gibraltar. Maltese is still spoken by some families of Maltese descent.
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[edit] Llanito
Llanito (pronounced [jɑˈnito] or [ʒɑˈnito]) is an Andalusian Spanish based creole, is the main local vernacular, and unique to Gibraltar. It consists of an eclectic mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English as well as languages such as Maltese, Portuguese, Italian of the Genoese variety and Haketia. Andalusian Spanish is the main constituent of Llanito, but is also heavily influenced by British English. However, it borrows words and expressions of many other languages, with over 500 words of Genoese and Hebrew origin. Among more educated Gibraltarians, it also typically involves code-switching to English.
Gibraltarians also call themselves Llanitos.
[edit] Spanish
Over the course of its history, the Rock of Gibraltar has changed hands many times, among Spanish, Moorish, and British hands, although it has been consistently under British control since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Before the British takeover, Spanish was widely spoken, but afterwards as most residents left the Rock, the language had a much smaller population (in 1753 there were just 185 Spaniards, and only 134 in 1777[1]). However, the border with Spain has been opened since 1985, allowing easier travel in and out of Spain, one of the factors which has given Andalusian Spanish considerable presence on The Rock. In 2001, there were 326 people of Spanish nationality in Gibraltar, and a large number of "Frontier Workers" who commute between Spain and Gibraltar for work.
[edit] Arabic
Owing to its close proximity to Morocco and Algeria, Arabic-speaking North African countries, Arabic is spoken by the Moroccan and other North African minority on the Rock. In 2001, there were 961 Moroccans in Gibraltar.
[edit] References
- This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2006 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.
- http://www.extremetourist.com/
- http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=eng
[edit] See also
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