Trinidad and Tobago

Summary

Official Name

International Conventions

CPPDCE (2010), CSICH (2010), ICCPR (1978), UNCRPD (2015), UNDRIP (2007)

Population

1,364,000

Principal Languages

English

Literacy Rate

99% (2015 World Factbook)

General References

Hancock 1985, Mohan and Zador 1986, Winer 1993

Language Counts

The number of established languages listed for Trinidad and Tobago is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 3 are indigenous and 4 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 1 is institutional, 2 are developing, 3 are vigorous, and 1 is dying. Also listed are 2 unestablished languages.

Languages

Arabic, North Levantine Spoken apc: Users: 2,600 in Trinidad and Tobago. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Chinese zho: Users: 6,500 in Trinidad and Tobago (2003 J. Leclerc). Status: Unestablished.
English eng: Users: 1,300,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (2011 J. Ferreira). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language, standard English in writing, education; non-standard English in informal domains, among distinct ethnic groups. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Hindustani, Sarnami hns: Scattered. Users: 15,600 in Trinidad and Tobago (2006). Ethnic population: East Indians are 41% of the population. Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Caribbean Hindustani, Trinidad Bhojpuri, Trinidadian Bhojpuri, Trinidadian Hindustani Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bihari
Lesser Antillean French Creole acf: Trinidad: Diego Martin municipality, peninsular coastal settlements north of the capital. Users: 4,100 in Trinidad and Tobago (2020 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity. Status: 5 (Developing). Alternate Names: Créole, French Creole, French-lexicon Creole, French-lexified Creole, Kwéyòl, Patois, Patwa Classification: Creole, French based
Spanish spa: Trinidad: Siparia municipality, southern peninsula, fishing villages. Users: 70,400 in Trinidad and Tobago, all users. L1 users: 4,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (Instituto Cervantes 2019). L2 users: 66,400 (Instituto Cervantes 2019). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
Tobagonian English Creole tgh: Widespread. Users: 300,000 (2011 J. Ferreira). Status: 6a (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in Tobago. Alternate Names: Tobagonian Dialect Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern
Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language lst: Scattered. Users: 1,360 (2019 B. Braithwaite). Estimate based on 0.1% of the general population. Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: TSL, TTSL, Trinidad Sign Language, Trinidadian Sign Language Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Trinidadian English Creole trf: Trinidad. Users: 1,000,000 (2011 J. Ferreira). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of national identity. Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern

Languages by Status

1 (National)

English

[eng] 1 (National). De facto national language, standard English in writing, education; non-standard English in informal domains, among distinct ethnic groups. 1,300,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (2011 J. Ferreira).

5 (Dispersed)

Spanish

[spa] 5* (Dispersed). 70,400 in Trinidad and Tobago, all users. L1 users: 4,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (Instituto Cervantes 2019). L2 users: 66,400 (Instituto Cervantes 2019).

5 (Developing)

Lesser Antillean French Creole

[acf] 5 (Developing). 4,100 in Trinidad and Tobago (2020 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.

6a (Vigorous)

Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language

[lst] 6a (Vigorous). 1,360 (2019 B. Braithwaite). Estimate based on 0.1% of the general population.

Tobagonian English Creole

[tgh] 6a (Vigorous). De facto language of provincial identity in Tobago. 300,000 (2011 J. Ferreira).

Trinidadian English Creole

[trf] 6a* (Vigorous). De facto language of national identity. 1,000,000 (2011 J. Ferreira).

8a (Moribund)

Hindustani, Sarnami