Panama

Extensive List of Languages of Panama: Spoken and Extinct Languages

:: List of Languages ::

Buglere [sab] 2,500 (1986 SIL). Mountains of western Panama. Alternate names: Bokota, Bogota, Bofota, Bobota, Bocota, Bukueta, Nortenyo, Murire, Veraguas Sabanero. Dialects: Sabanero, Bokotá. Classification: Chibchan, Guaymi

Chinese, Hakka [hak] 6,000 in Panama (1981 MARC). Ethnic population: 30,000 to 60,000 including Cantonese (1981 MARC). Panama City, Colón, larger towns of interior. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

Chinese, Yue [yue] Panama City, Colón, larger towns of interior. Alternate names: Yue, Yueh, Cantonese. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

Emberá, Northern [emp] 10,480 in Panama (2000 WCD). Population total all countries: 23,480. Southeastern Panama, Darién area, lowland jungle. Also spoken in Colombia. Alternate names: Empera, Ebera Bedea, Atrato, Darien, Dariena, Panama Embera, Cholo, Eerã. Dialects: Related languages in order of closeness: Emberá-Catío, Emberá-Baudó, Emberá-Tadó, Epena, Emberá-Chamí, and Wounmeu. Panama and Colombia dialects are inherently intelligible. Northern Embera of the Upper Baudó area and downriver Emberá-Baudó are inherently intelligible. Classification: Choco, Embera, Northern

Emberá-Catío [cto] 40 in Panama (1982 SIL). Alternate names: Catío, Katio, Embena, Epera. Classification: Choco, Embera, Northern

Epena [sja] Southeastern Panama. Alternate names: Emberá-Saija, Saija, Epena Saija, Epéna Pedée, Southern Embera, Southern Empera, Cholo. Dialects: Basurudo. Classification: Choco, Embera, Southern

Kuna, Border [kvn] 700 in Panama (1991 SIL). Southeastern Panama, villages of Paya and Pucuro. Alternate names: Paya-Pucuro Kuna, Kuna de la Frontera, Colombia Cuna, Caiman Nuevo, Long Hair Cuna, Cuna. Classification: Chibchan, Kuna

Kuna, San Blas [cuk] 57,114 (2000 WCD). Population includes 10,000 in Panama City, Colón, and on banana plantations (1991 SIL). San Blas Islands and on the mainland. Alternate names: San Blas Cuna. Dialects: Chuana, Cueva, Bayano (Alto Bayano, Maje). Classification: Chibchan, Kuna

Ngäbere [gym] 128,000 in Panama (1990 census). Population total all countries: 133,092. Northeastern Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro, western Veraguas, western provinces. Also spoken in Costa Rica. Alternate names: Valiente, Chiriqui, Ngobere, Guaymí. Dialects: Valiente, Eastern Guaymí (Tolé, Chiriquí). Classification: Chibchan, Guaymi

Panamanian Creole English [jam] 268,435 in Panama (2000 WCD). Bocas del Toro, Colón, and Rio Abajo in Panama City. Alternate names: Southwestern Caribbean Creole English. Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western

San Miguel Creole French [scf] 3 (1999 SIL). Classification: Creole, French based Nearly extinct.

Spanish [spa] 2,100,000 in Panama (1995). Enclaves of speakers. Alternate names: Español, Castellano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Teribe [tfr] 3,000 in Panama (1996 SIL). Population total all countries: 3,005. Northwestern area, Changuinola, Teribe River. Also spoken in Costa Rica. Alternate names: Terraba, Tiribi, Tirribi, Nortenyo, Quequexque, Naso. Classification: Chibchan, Talamanca

Woun Meu [noa] 3,000 in Panama. Population total all countries: 6,000. Southeastern Panama, lowlands. Also spoken in Colombia. Alternate names: Waun Meo, Waunana, Waumeo, Wounmeu, Wounaan, Noanama, Noenama, Nonama, Chocama, Chanco. Classification: Choco

:: Reference ::
Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/