| Languages of Guyana | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Signs inGeorgetown with text in English | |
| Official | English |
| Indigenous | Akawaio,Arawak,Atorada,Carib,Macushi,Mapidian,Patamona,Pemon,Waiwai,Wapishana,Warao |
| Vernacular | Guyanese Creole,Caribbean English |
| Minority | Guyanese Hindustani |
| Foreign | Spanish,Portuguese,French,Dutch,Tamil,Chinese |
| Signed | Guyanese Sign Language,South Rupununi Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
English is the official language ofGuyana, which is the onlySouth American country with English as the official language.[1][2]
Guyanese Creole (an English-basedcreole) is widely spoken in Guyana.[1]
Guyanese Hindustani is retained and spoken by some Indo-Guyanese for cultural and religious reasons. Guyanese Bhojpuri may be used by older generations, folk songs, or in a limited way at home, while standard Hindi is used in religious service, writing, and passively through the consumption of Hindi film exports from India.[3]Tamil was once spoken by a segment of the Indo-Guyanese community, although its usage has declined over generations, and it remains mostly in religious and cultural contexts.[4]
A number ofAmerindian languages are also spoken by a minority of the population. These includeCariban languages such asMacushi,Akawaio andWai-Wai; andArawakan languages such asArawak (or Lokono) andWapishana.[1][2]
