Languages of El Salvador

Republic of El Salvador, República de El Salvador. National or official language: Spanish. 6,032,000 (1998 UN).  Also includes Central Pokomam, Turkish 500, Chinese 1,300. Christian, secular.  The number of spoken languages listed for El Salvador is 5. Of those, 5 are living languages and 1 is extinct. Diversity index 0.00.

Spoken living languages

KEKCHÍ [KEK] 12,286 in El Salvador.   Alternate names: QUECCHÍ, CACCHÉ.  Classification: Mayan, Quichean-Mamean, Greater Quichean, Kekchi. 

LENCA [LEN] (36,858 in ethnic group in El Salvador, 1987; or .6% of the population; 1982 Barrett).  Town of Chilango. Classification: Unclassified. 

PIPIL [PPL] 20 speakers approximately, all older people, out of 196,576 in ethnic group (1987). Population total both countries 20.  Alternate names: NAHUAT, NAWAT.  Classification: Uto-Aztecan, Southern Uto-Aztecan, Aztecan, General Aztec, Pipil. 

SPANISH [SPN] 5,900,000 in El Salvador (1995), or 92.3% of the population (1982 Barrett).   Alternate names: ESPAÑOL, CASTELLANO.  Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian. 

Extinct languages

CACAOPERA [CCR]   Department of Morazán. Classification: Misumalpan. 
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