| Languages of Namibia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official | English |
| National | Afrikaans, German, Otjiherero, Khoekhoegowab, Oshiwambo, RuKwangali, Setswana, siLozi |
| Recognised | !Kung, Gciriku, Thimbukushu |
| Vernacular | Namlish |
| Minority | Fwe, Kuhane, Mbukushu, Yeyi, Naro, ǃXóõ ǂKxʼauǁʼein |
| Immigrant | Portuguese |
| Signed | Namibian Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
Namibia, despite its scant population, is home to a wide diversity of languages, from multiple language families: Germanic, Bantu, and the various Khoisan families. When Namibia was administered by South Africa, Afrikaans, German, and English enjoyed an equal status as official languages. Upon Namibian independence in 1990, English was enshrined as the nation's sole official language in the constitution of Namibia. German and Afrikaans were stigmatised as relics of the colonial past,[1] while the rising of Mandela's Youth League and the 1951 Defiance Campaign spread English among the masses as the language of the campaign against apartheid.[2]
- ^ "Namibia Travel Guide". Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ^ Brutt-Griffler, J. (2002). World English: a study of its development. Multilingual Matters, p.165. ISBN 1853595772