Scholars believe there are anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 languages spoken throughout Africa. Within 2,000 languages, at least 75 of those languages are spoken by more than one million people. While many of these voiced languages, there are also a variety of sign languages in Africa. Even with a diverse population of people and languages, most African languages can be broken down into four distinct groups (although new groups and languages are being constantly added).
Africa is home to some of the most ancient written languages in the world.
The English language has borrowed words that originated from Africa, such as tote, banjo, banana, and oasis.
Like any continent, Africa holds a multitude of languages spoken by people across the globe. Here are several examples of languages spoken throughout Africa:
In parts of Africa that were once European colonies, European languages like French, English, and Portuguese are also spoken. Because there are so many different languages, many people in Africa speak two, even three, languages. Multilingualism, the ability to speak more than one language, is an important part of life in Africa. With hundreds of languages spoken in over 50 different countries, Africa truly is the land of many different languages.