Greenland

Summary

Official Name

Population

56,100

Principal Languages

Danish, Greenlandic

Literacy Rate

100% (2015 World Factbook)

General References

Campbell and King 2011

Language Counts

The number of established languages listed for Greenland is 3. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 2 are institutional and 1 is vigorous.

Languages

Danish dan: Users: 6,200 in Greenland (2014 World Factbook). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national working language (1978, Home Rule Act No. 577, Article 9(2)). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, North, East Scandinavian, Danish-Swedish, Danish-Riksmal, Danish
Danish Sign Language dsl: Scattered. Users: 60 in Greenland (2020 A. Bickford). Estimated based on 0.1% of the general population. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: DTS, Dansk tegnsprog Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Greenlandic kal: Widespread. Users: 50,000 in Greenland (2007 I. Larsen). 3,000 East Greenlandic, 44,000 West Greenlandic, 800 North Greenlandic. Total users in all countries: 57,000. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1978, Home Rule Act No. 577 of 29 November, Article 9.1). Alternate Names: Greenlandic Inuktitut, Grønlandsk Autonym: Kalaallisut Classification: Eskimo-Aleut, Eskimo, Inuit-Inupiaq

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Danish

[dan] 1 (National). Statutory national working language (1978, Home Rule Act No. 577, Article 9(2)). 6,200 in Greenland (2014 World Factbook).

Greenlandic

[kal] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1978, Home Rule Act No. 577 of 29 November, Article 9.1). 50,000 in Greenland (2007 I. Larsen). 3,000 East Greenlandic, 44,000 West Greenlandic, 800 North Greenlandic. Total users in all countries: 57,000.

6a (Vigorous)

Danish Sign Language

[dsl] 6a* (Vigorous). 60 in Greenland (2020 A. Bickford). Estimated based on 0.1% of the general population.