Over fifty languages are spoken in Benin. Of those, French is the official language, and all the indigenous languages are considered national languages.
Of the Beninese languages, Fon (a Gbe language) and Yoruba are the most important in the south of the country. In the north there are at least six major indigenous languages, including Baatonum (a subgroup of the Voltaic group in which the Mossi language is most important) and Fula.
French was introduced during the colonial period and retained as the official language upon independence.
Education for the deaf in Benin uses American Sign Language, introduced by the deaf American missionary Andrew Foster.
The multilingual character of Beninese society is characterized by the number of languages spoken, ethno-linguistic diversity, stratification of language use (whereby French is used officially and other languages used in other spheres of activity), and by the fact that many Beninese are polyglots.
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“The trouble with foreign languages is, you have to think before your speak.”
—Swedish proverb, trans. by Verne Moberg.