Languages of Tunisia


is a multilingual country.
The original language of Tunisia since ancient times is the Berber language, but most Tunisians slowly switched to a variety of Arabic, over 13 centuries of Arabization and Islamization.
The vast majority of the population today speaks Tunisian Arabic as their native language, which is mutually intelligible to a limited degree with other Maghrebi Arabic dialects. Most inhabitants are also literate in Modern Standard Arabic taught in primary and secondary education. A significant portion of the population also can speak some French to varying degrees which was the common language of business and administration during French rule in the region.
The Berber language is still spoken today by thousands of Tunisians who did not undergo full arabization.

Tunisian Arabic

The Tunisian Derja is considered a variety of Arabic – or more accurately a set of dialects.
Tunisian is built upon a significant Berber, African Romance and Neo-Punic substratum, while its vocabulary is mostly derived from a morphological corruption of Arabic, French, and English. Multilingualism within Tunisia and in the Tunisian diaspora makes it common for Tunisians to code-switch, mixing Tunisian with French, English or other languages in daily speech.
Moreover, Tunisian is closely related to the Maltese language, that descended from Tunisian and Siculo-Arabic.

Berber languages

are mainly spoken in the villages of the south, including Chenini, Douiret, Matmata and Tamezrett. They are also spoken in some hamlets on the island of Djerba, mainly Guellala, Iquallalen, Ajim, Sedouikech, Azdyuch and Ouirsighen.

French

During the French protectorate of Tunisia, French was introduced in public institutions, most notably the education system, which became a strong vehicle for dissemination of the language. From independence, the country gradually became arabized even though the public administration and education remained bilingual. Meanwhile, knowledge of French and other European languages is enhanced by Tunisia's proximity to Europe and by media and tourism.
The 1990s marked a turning point for the Arabization process. Science classes up to the end of middle school were Arabized in order to facilitate access to higher education and promote the Arabic language in society. Since October 1999, private establishments have been obliged to give Arabic characters twice the size of Latin characters. This rule is not always followed, however. At the same time, the public administration is required to communicate in Arabic only. In this context, the use of French seems to be in decline despite the increased number of graduates in the educational system, which leads to the fact that a good knowledge of French remains an important social marker. This is because French is widely used in the business community, intellectual domains and the spheres of natural science and medicine. Because of this, one can consider the language to have become gentrified. Thus, French in Tunisia is a prestige language.
According to recent estimates provided by the Tunisian government to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the number of French speakers in the country is estimated at 6.36 million people, or 63.6% of the population.