Angola's Official And Unofficial Languages

Angola is a multilingual and multicultural country in Southern Africa with a single official language, Portuguese, and several national languages. Portuguese was introduced during the colonial era and is now the most spoken language in the country. There are 46 other languages spoken in Angola, most of which are Bantu and other African languages. The most widely spoken indigenous languages are Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo.

Portuguese is the official language

A 2012 study by the Angolan National Institute for Statistics found that Portuguese is the mother tongue of 39% of the population. It is also spoken as a second language by many more throughout the country, with approximately 80% of the population using it as their primary or secondary language. The 2014 population census found that about 71% of the nearly 25.8 million inhabitants of Angola speak Portuguese at home. In urban areas, this number rises to 85%, while in rural areas, it drops to 49%. The variant of the Portuguese language used in Angola is known as Angolan Portuguese, which is phonetically similar to the Mozambican variant and Brazilian Portuguese in several aspects.

Portuguese was quickly adopted by Angolans in the mid-twentieth century as a lingua franca among the various ethnic groups. After the Angolan Civil War, many people moved to the cities, where they learned Portuguese. As a result, when they returned to the countryside, more people were speaking Portuguese as a first language. Due to cultural, social, and political mechanisms that date back to colonial history, the number of native Portuguese speakers is large and continues to grow. Younger urban generations are increasingly moving towards the dominant or exclusive use of Portuguese.

In addition to Portuguese, there are 46 other languages spoken in Angola, most of which are Bantu and other African languages. The major ethnic groups of Angola include 2% Mestico (mixed European and native African) and 22% other nationalities. Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo are the most widely spoken indigenous languages and are considered the most popular native languages. Umbundu is spoken by about 23% of the population, mainly in the center and south of the country. Kimbundu is spoken in Luanda Province and adjacent provinces, while Kikongo is spoken in the northwest, including the exclave of Cabinda, by about 8.24% of Angolans.

Umbundu is the most widely spoken indigenous language

Angola is a Southern African nation with a single official language, Portuguese, and several national languages. Portuguese, introduced during the colonial era, is now the most spoken language in Angola. However, Umbundu is the most widely spoken indigenous language.

Umbundu, or South Mbundu, is one of many Bantu languages and is the most widely spoken autochthonous language of Angola. Its speakers are known as Ovimbundu, and they constitute the largest ethnic group in Angola, making up around a third of the country's population. The Ovimbundu people's homeland is the Central Highlands of Angola and the coastal region west of these highlands, including the cities of Benguela and Lobito. Due to internal migration, there are now also large Ovimbundu communities in the capital, Luanda, and its surrounding province, as well as in Lubango.

Umbundu is spoken natively by about 23% of the population, which amounts to about 5.9 million people. It is mainly spoken in the centre and south of the country. The language has two tones: low and high. The first acute accent (á) in a word represents a high tone, while the low tone is represented by a grave accent (à). Unmarked syllables take on the same tone as the preceding syllable.

Some common phrases in Umbundu include:

• Ukombe weya ("Welcome" or "The guests have come")
• Wakolapo? (How are you? - singular)
• Twakolapo ("We're fine")
• Velye olonduko vene? (What's your name? - formal)
• Onduko yange ame... ("My name is...")
• Pi ofeka yove? ("Where are you from?" or "Where is your country"?)
• Ofeka yange... ("My country is...")
• Ndanda. ("Goodbye" or "I went")

Umbundu is one of the national languages of Angola, and it is used in radio transmissions and teaching materials in some Angolan schools.

Kimbundu is another widely spoken indigenous language

Angola is a multilingual and multicultural country with 46 languages spoken, most of which are Bantu languages. Portuguese is the only official language in Angola, but it is not the mother tongue of most Angolans. It is, however, spoken as a second language by many and is the dominant language of the younger urban population.

Kimbundu is one of the six languages the government chose to develop as literary languages after independence. It is also one of the fourteen languages used in Angolan radio transmission. Kimbundu is taught in some Angolan schools, but there is a shortage of teachers.

Kikongo is also widely spoken

Portuguese is the only official language of Angola, but 46 other languages are spoken across the country, most of which are Bantu languages. Portuguese was introduced during the colonial era and is now the most spoken language in Angola. It is the mother tongue of 39% of the population, and 71% of the population speak it at home. In urban areas, this figure rises to 85%.

Kikongo is spoken in the northwest of Angola, including in the province of Luanda and the exclave of Cabinda. In Cabinda, which is wedged between two French-speaking countries, the DRC and the Congo, many people speak French as well as or better than Portuguese. 90% of the literate population of Cabinda speak French, while only 10% speak Portuguese. The Angolan Bakongo, exiled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, usually speak better French and Lingala than they do Portuguese and Kikongo.

Kikongo is one of the national languages of Angola. The Angolan radio transmits in 14 of these national languages, including Kikongo. It is also one of the six languages the government has said it will develop as literary languages, although the six languages vary between government pronouncements.

French is spoken in the province of Cabinda

Angola is a Southern African country with a single official language, Portuguese, and several national languages. Portuguese was introduced during the colonial era and is now widely spoken in the country. It is the mother tongue of 39% of the population and is spoken as a second language by many more. In urban areas, 85% of the population speak Portuguese at home, compared to 49% in rural areas.

French is spoken in Cabinda, an Angolan province that borders the French-speaking nations of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of the Congo. Due to its location, many people in Cabinda speak French as well as, or better than, Portuguese. In fact, of the literate population in Cabinda, 90% speak French, while only 10% speak Portuguese. This is in stark contrast to the rest of Angola, where Portuguese is the dominant language.

The ability of the people in Cabinda to speak French can be attributed to the influence of the neighbouring countries. The Angolan Bakongo, who were exiled in the DRC, for example, usually speak better French and Lingala than Portuguese and Kikongo. Additionally, the close proximity of Cabinda to the two French-speaking Congos has likely contributed to the adoption of French in the province.

Besides French and Portuguese, there are several indigenous languages spoken in Angola. The most widely spoken indigenous languages are Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo. Umbundu is the most widely spoken Bantu language, with about 23% of the population speaking it natively. Kimbundu is spoken in Luanda Province and adjacent provinces, while Kikongo is spoken in the northwest, including the exclave of Cabinda.

Frequently asked questions