Languages
English, a West Germanic language, is the de facto national language of Australia and is spoken by the majority of the population, regardless of other languages spoken. Most Australians speak Australian English, however Australian Aboriginal English and Torres Strait English, along with various creoles and pidgins, are spoken by some Indigenous Australians. Australia is home to a great number of unique but endangered Indigenous Australian languages, as well as Australian Aboriginal sign languages. Australia's hearing-impaired community primarily uses Auslan, a member of the BANZSL language family.
The diverse backgrounds of Australians lead to a great number of community languages being spoken:
| Language | Speakers | Language | Speakers | Language | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English only | 15,581,333 | Korean | 54,623 | Portuguese | 25,779 |
| Italian | 316,895 | Turkish | 53,857 | Assyrian | 23,526 |
| Greek | 252,226 | Serbian | 52,534 | Indonesian | 23,164 |
| Arabic | 243,662 | French | 43,216 | Persian | 22,841 |
| Mandarin | 220,600 | Danish | 42,036 | Hungarian | 21,565 |
| Vietnamese | 194,863 | Maltese | 36,514 | Hindi | 20,223 |
| Spanish | 98,001 | Russian | 36,502 | Urdu | 19,288 |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | 92,331 | Dutch | 36,183 | Bengali | 15,743 |
| German | 75,634 | Japanese | 35,111 | Punjabi | 13,164 |
| Cantonese | 70,011 | Tamil | 32,700 | ||
| Macedonian | 67,836 | Hebrew | 67,835 | ||
| Croatian | 63,612 | Romanian | 29,055 | ||
| Polish | 53,389 | Khmer | 24,715 |
Read more about this topic: Australians
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“No doubt, to a man of sense, travel offers advantages. As many languages as he has, as many friends, as many arts and trades, so many times is he a man. A foreign country is a point of comparison, wherefrom to judge his own.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“People in places many of us never heard of, whose names we can’t pronounce or even spell, are speaking up for themselves. They speak in languages we once classified as “exotic” but whose mastery is now essential for our diplomats and businessmen. But what they say is very much the same the world over. They want a decent standard of living. They want human dignity and a voice in their own futures. They want their children to grow up strong and healthy and free.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)