Languages of East Timor
Language Number Year surveyed Language family
Tetun-Dili/Prasa 385,000 2009 Austronesian
Mambai 131,000 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Makasae 102,000 2010 ( census ) Timor-Alor-Pantar
Baikeno 72,000 2011 Austronesian
Tetum-Terik 63,500 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Kemak 62,000 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Bunak 55,000 2010 ( census ) Timor-Alor-Pantar
Tocodede 39,500 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Fataluku 37,000 2010 ( census ) Timor-Alor-Pantar
Waimoa 18,400 2012 ( census ) Austronesian
Kairui-Midiki 15,000 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Naueti 15,000 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Idaté 13,500 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Galoli 13,000 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Makalero 6,500 2011 Timor-Alor-Pantar
Adabe 5,000 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Lakalei 3,250 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Habun 2,700 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Portuguese 600 2010 ( census ) Indo-European
Makuv ' a 56 2010 ( census ) Austronesian
Languages by speakers
2010 native language census [ 10 ] Tetum-Dili/Prasa ( 36.6% ) Tetum-Terik ( 6.0% ) Mambai ( 12.5% ) Makasai ( 9.7% ) Baikenu ( 5.9% ) Kemak ( 5.9% ) Bunak ( 5.3% ) Tokodede ( 3.7% ) Fataluku ( 3.6% ) Other languages ( 10.9% ) Languages by number of native speakers [ 11 ]
The languages of East Timor include both Austronesian and Papuan languages. (See Timor-Flores languages and Timor-Alor-Pantar languages.) The lingua franca and national language of East Timor is Tetum, an Austronesian language influenced by Portuguese, with which it has equal status as an official language. The language of the Ocussi exclave is Uab Meto (Dawan). Fataluku is a Papuan language widely used in the eastern part of the country (often more so than Tetum). Both Portuguese and Tetum have official recognition under the Constitution of East Timor, as do other indigenous languages, including: Bekais, Bunak, Galoli, Habun, Idalaka, Kawaimina, Kemak, Lovaia, Makalero, Makasae, Mambai, Tokodede and Wetarese. The rise of lingua francas in the linguistically diverse East Timor and the domination of several clans over others have led to the extinction of many smaller languages. However, some of them are still in use as ritual languages or cants. Research done in the mid-2000s by the Dutch linguist Aone van Engelenhoven, for example, revealed that the Makuva language, formerly spoken by the Makuva tribe but believed to have been extinct since the 1950s, was still used occasionally. In 2007, Van Engelenhoven discovered the existence of another language that was essentially extinct, called Rusenu.