Languages
Hungarian is the only official language of Hungary and widely spoken by non-Hungarians also. According to the 2001 census 1,766,733 people (99.4%) speak Hungarian, 393,642 (22.1%) English, 286,351 (16.1%) German, 68,960 (3.9%) Russian and 57,648 people (3.2%) speak French in Budapest. Hungarian is the mother language to near all of the residents, while the other languages spoken as second languages.
| Language | 1715 | 1737 | 1750 | 1851 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1941 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungarian | 19.4% | 22.5% | 22.2% | 36.6% | 56.7% | 67.1% | 79.6% | 85.9% | 90.2% | 94.3% | 97% |
| German | 55.6% | 57.8% | 55.2% | 56.4% | 34.3% | 23.7% | 14% | 9% | 6.5% | 3.8% | 1.9% |
| Slovak | 2.2% | 5.6% | 6.5% | 5% | 6.1% | 5.6% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Other | 22.8% | 14.1% | 16.1% | 2% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 3% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Budapest
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“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)
“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)
“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)