The official language of Monaco is French. Monégasque, a variety of Ligurian, is the national language of the Monégasque people. However, it is the primary language of very few people. There are several other languages spoken in addition to French and Monégasque, including Italian and English.
French is the only official—and by far the most common—language in Monaco, a result of the role France has had over the microstate, since the annexation of the County of Nice, which surrounds Monaco, in 1860.
Monégasque
Monégasque is the traditional national language of the Monegasque people (who represent only 21.6% of the total population[1]). It is a dialect of Ligurian, and is somewhat similar to Italian.
Because the Monégasques are a minority in Monaco, their tongue was threatened with extinction in the 1970s.[citation needed] However, the language is now being taught in schools. In the old part of Monaco, the street signs are marked with Monégasque in addition to French.
Standard Italian is also a major language in Monaco. Italian nationals make up 19% of the total population.[1]
Italian was the ancestral language of the ruling House of Grimaldi, and was the official language of Monaco until 1860, when it was replaced by French.[2] This was due to the annexation of the surrounding County of Nice to France following the Treaty of Turin (1860).[2]
There is also an Anglophone community in Monaco (8.5% of which are from the United Kingdom or the United States, with English-speakers from other nations as too insignificant and thus listed within the category of "other," below),[1] in addition to English-speaking tourists visiting the city.
Occitan (Lenga d'òc) has also traditionally been spoken in Monaco, particularly when it covered a larger geographical territory, but is rarely used today.
Other
Intemelio is a Ligurian dialect spoken historically from the Principality of Monaco to the Italian province of Imperia.
