languages of Guinea
{{Short description|none}}
{{Languages of
| country = Guinea
| official = French
| national = Fula, Maninka, Susu, Kissi, Kpelle (also known in French as Guerzé), Loma
| extralabel = interethnic
| extra = French, Fula
| sign = American Sign Language (Francophone African Sign Language)
|caption=Sign in French and Arabic, Conakry
| foreign = English
| vernacular = African French
| keyboard = French AZERTY
| keyboard image = 200px
}}
The Republic of Guinea is a multilingual country, with over 40 languages spoken. The official language is French.
Several indigenous languages have been given the status of national languages: Fula (or Pular); Malinké (or Maninka); Susu; Kissi; Kpelle (also known in French as Guerzé) and Loma.
Guinea is a Francophone country, where, as of 2024, 4,11 million (27.83%) out of 14.76 million people speak French.{{cite web| url=https://www.outils-odsef-fss.ulaval.ca/francoscope/ |title=Accueil-Francoscope |department=ODSEF (Observatoire démographique et statistique de l'espace francophone de l'Université Laval) |language=fr |agency=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie |location=Laval, Québec}}
Government and institutions
French is the language of state and of official institutions. It is used as a second language by 15% to 25% of the population, and as a first language by a negligible portion of the population.[http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/guinee_franco.htm Linguistic situation in Guinea] At the end of the Ahmed Sékou Touré regime, French was the only language used in business and schools.
By region
Fula (34.6%) is mostly spoken in Middle Guinea, where the major city is Labé. It dominates in the Labé and Mamou regions where it is spoken by 94.5% and 92.4% of the populations respectively.{{cite web|url=http://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Publications/INS/RGPH3/RGPH3_etat_structure.pdf|title=Etat et Structure de la Population Recensement General de la Population et de l'habitation 2014
|access-date=27 March 2020 |website=Direction Nationale de la Statistique de Guinée| df=dmy }}
Malinké (24.9%) is mostly spoken in Upper Guinea, where Kankan is the major city. It dominates the Kankan Region where it is spoken by 87.1% of the population.{{cite web|url=http://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Publications/INS/RGPH3/RGPH3_etat_structure.pdf|title=Etat et Structure de la Population Recensement General de la Population et de l'habitation 2014
|access-date=27 March 2020 |website=Direction Nationale de la Statistique de Guinée| df=dmy }} The Kankan variety of the language was used by Solomana Kante for the development of N'Ko, a standardized unified written Manding language, which is increasingly used in literacy education and publishing books and newspapers in Guinea and neighboring countries.{{Cite book|title=Manding-English Dictionary : (Maninka, Bamana)|last=Vydrin|first=Valentin|year=1999|isbn=9780993996931|location=Lac-Beauport|pages=8|oclc=905517929|author-link=Valentin Vydrin}}{{Cite journal|last=Donaldson|first=Coleman|date=2019-03-01|title=Linguistic and Civic Refinement in the N'ko Movement of Manding-Speaking West Africa|journal=Signs and Society|volume=7|issue=2|pages=156–185; 181|doi=10.1086/702554|s2cid=181625415 |issn=2326-4489}}
Susu (17.7%) is mostly spoken in Guinée maritime, where the capital is Conakry.{{cite book|last=Dalby|first=Andrew|title=Dictionary of Languages: The definitive reference to more than 400 languages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dHNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA590|date=28 October 2015|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9781408102145|page=590}} It dominates the Kindia Region where it is spoken by 54.9% of the population and the plurality (37%) of Conakry also speaks it.{{cite web|url=http://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Publications/INS/RGPH3/RGPH3_etat_structure.pdf|title=Etat et Structure de la Population Recensement General de la Population et de l'habitation 2014
|access-date=27 March 2020 |website=Direction Nationale de la Statistique de Guinée| df=dmy }}
Koniaka (4.5%), Kissi (4.1%) and Kpelle (4%) are spoken in Guinée Forestière. More specifically, Kpelle is spoken in Nzérékoré and Yomou. Kissi is spoken in Guéckédou and Kissidougou. Kono is a language used in the south of Guinea, mostly in Lola.{{cite web|url=http://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Publications/INS/RGPH3/RGPH3_etat_structure.pdf|title=Etat et Structure de la Population Recensement General de la Population et de l'habitation 2014
|access-date=27 March 2020 |website=Direction Nationale de la Statistique de Guinée| df=dmy }}
French 70 - 80 %
Local languages
Susu
Mandingo
Fula
Kissi
Koniake
Toma
Gerze
Baga
....