A tiny island located in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus is one of those countries you probably never think about. Let alone the languages spoken there. Yet the diversity of the languages of Cyprus would surprise you… more so than you’d think.
Home to languages spoken by millions of people on multiple continents, Cyprus is also home to dozens of languages with far fewer speakers – including those native to the island with no international speakers to speak of!
Official Languages of Cyprus
According to the Constitution of Cyprus, there are two official languages of the Republic of Cyprus. These are:
Greek (710,000)
Turkish (300,000)
Minority Languages of Cyprus
Though Greek and Turkish are the official languages, the country home to several other languages, some of which are recognized as minority languages within the country, and have been given various rights to reflect that. These are:
Armenian (3,000)
Cypriot Arabic (140)
Immigrant Languages of Cyprus
Having been conquered by numerous empires over the centuries, and a place that’s generally accepting of immigrants, Cyprus is home to numerous foreign languages – from Romance languages, to Semitic ones, to Germanic one – and everything in between!
English (640,000)
French (96,500)
German (44,000)
Romanian (25,500)
Russian (24,500)
Bulgarian (19,250)
Spanish (17,500)
Filipino (9,750)
What do you think about the languages of Cyprus? Do you speak any of them (besides English of course)? Tell me in the comments!