Minority languages are spoken in a number of autochthonous settlements inHungary. The country is a signatory of theEuropean Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which was ratified at 26 April 1995 under which 14 minority languages are recognized and protected.[2] Official linguistic rights of 13 recognized minorities are regulated by the Act on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities, which provides measures for development of cultural and educational autonomy.[3] Levels of linguistic assimilation among Hungarian ethnic minorities are high.[3] At the time of 2001 Census, out of the 314,059 citizens belonging to ethnic minorities, 135,787 stated minority language as their primary language.[3]
–Hungarian: The only official language of the country, unrelated to any of the neighbouring languages. It is thefirst language of some 98.9% of the total population.
–German: spoken by the German minority, especially in and around theMecsek Mountains, but also in other parts of the country. (Historically, theSwabian German dialect was spoken in Hungary.)
–Cuman: once spoken inCumania region in Hungary. It is aKipchak language closely related to other Kipchak languages likeCrimean Tatar. The last speaker died in 1777.
–Kipchak: once spoken in Eastern Europe which includes Hungary. It was the lingua franca of theGolden Horde-controlled areas. It is the ancestor of all Kipchak languages today, which also includes the extinct Cuman.
^Note: percentages do not add up to 100% as, according to the census, large proportion of Hungarians speak more than one language (native and a second language). Not all languages are shown.
