Despite having just under half a million people, the great Northern English city of Manchester has 200 languages spoken within it. These languages include Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs, Zulu, from South Africa, and Dari, from Afghanistan. Also spoken in Manchester are Acholi, Assyrian. Hausa, Kyrgyz, Konkani, Sindhi, Leone, Tigre, Uyghur, Wolof, Xhosa and Yiddish.
The city is also the third most ethinically diverse in the world after Paris and New York, more diverse even than London.
Can you speak Eleme, Nahuatl or Uyghur? Then you'll find someone to chat to in Manchester, where 200 languages are spoken by its population of just 480,000
By Harry Mount
15 August 2013
Daily Mail
Manchester is the third most ethnically diverse city in the world after Paris and New York according to fascinating new research.
An astonishing 200 languages are spoken there by a population of less than half a million, making the northern city known for Coronation Street and club music more multicultural than London.
Despite having a relatively small population of 480,000, immigration means that dozens of rare languages are spoken in Manchester including Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs, Zulu, from South Africa, and Dari, from Afghanistan.
Melting pot: Thanks to years of immigration, Manchester is the third most ethnically diverse city in the world
You will also hear Lingala, Idomo and Ewe on the city's streets, not to mention Eleme, a Nigerian dialect spoken by just 3,000 people worldwide, Igbo and Konkani.
The findings of the Multicultural Manchester project showed that nearly half of the city's population spoke at least two languages, while only three per cent said they were unable to speak English, with 80 per cent of the population saying they could speak it well or very well.
The project's Professor Yaron Matras, who is a professor of linguistics at Manchester University, said having such a multilingual population was of enormous benefit to the city's economy, opening the doorway to business links with hundreds of countries worldwide.
He told the Manchester Evening News: 'We are receiving a very important resource for free.
'Language skills are often in demand, with online adverts in the first part of 2013 offering jobs in customer service, sales, marketing, management roles and teaching.'
Manchester's 153-plus languages (researchers believe the figure is nearer 200) are the result of immigration into the city over centuries.
Among the first immigrants were the Romans, who in around 79AD built a fort near the rivers Medlock and Irwell which they named "Mancunium", from an ancient British Celtic word meaning "breast shaped hill". It became a prosperous mill-town, and Manchester's population grew most rapidly around the turn of the 19th century with the industrial revolution.
Now known for its culture, engineering and sports industries in particular - as well as to Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs - Manchester is the fastest-growing city in the UK.
Harry Mount is the author of How England Made the English, published by Viking
WHAT'S 'EH UP CHUCK' IN ZULU?* A PHRASEBOOK FOR MANCUNIANS
NAHUATL
Spoken by 1.5m Nahua people in Mexico and El Salvador, Nahuatl is the ancient language of the Aztecs, used in Central America since the seventh century AD. Some Nahuatl words such as avocado, chocolate and tomato have found their way into English via Spanish.
Useful phrases
You can’t have your cake and eat it. Oppa icuitl quicua.
I’m feeling right poorly. Nicocoya.
That’s champion! Hue kaulli!
FARSI
Farsi, spoken by 110m people, is another name for the Iranian or Persian language, spoken widely in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Its origins go back to the sixth century BC. The English words assassin and caravan both come from the Persian.
Useful phrases
Your good health! Be salamati!
Would you like to dance? Dust darid ba man beraqsid?
It isn’t my round. Un baraye hameci pul mide.
Nahuatl, which gave us the word tomato, is spoken by 1.5m people in Mexico and El Salvador (file picture)
ZULU
Isizulu, or the Zulu language, is spoken by around 10m people, mostly in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries. Before the arrival of European missionaries in the 19th century, it had never been formally written down. Zulu has given us such words as impala and mamba to describe an antelope and a snake respectively.
Useful phrases
What are you called? Ngubani igama lakho?
What’s the time? Isikhathi sithini?
Ta very much. Ngiyabonga kakhulu.
YIDDISH
A German-Jewish language, Yiddish is spoken by 1.8m people across the world, principally in the countries settled by Jews after the 19th century pogroms and the Nazi holocaust. First recorded in central Europe in the 10th century, it is a mixture of Hebrew, German and Latin. Yiddish words are still widely used in New York, home to millions of Jewish refugees - schmaltz, schmooze and schmuck all come from Yiddish.
Useful phrases
You’re beautiful to me. Bei mir bist du shayn.
How terrible! Oy gevalt!
Best of luck, Sir Alex Ferguson! Mazel tov, Fergie!
Zulu, the language of the largest ethnic group in South Africa, is spoken in Manchester (file picture)
KURDISH
An Iranian dialect, Kurdish is spoken by 21m native speakers in western Asia, including Iraq, Turkey and Iran. With its nine vowels, it is a notoriously difficult language to master.
Useful phrases
Thanks so much. Zor supas.
You look like the back end of a bus. To nashrinit.
Get your coat, love, you’ve pulled. Wara bolam.
SAMOAN
Samoan is a Polynesian language, spoken by 377,000 inhabitants of the Samoa and American Samoa islands in the South Pacific. It has three different dialects: a formal, informal and ceremonial one. Our word tattoo is borrowed from the Samoan.
Useful phrases
Do you speak English? Ete tautala Igilisi?
I’ve had it up to here! Ua lava!
Nice day at work, love? O fa’apefea mai lou aso?
Finnish is spoken in Finland and Manchester - picture shows the Finnish capital, Helsinki
SWAHILI
Spoken by 6m native speakers in eastern Africa, Swahili is widely used in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It is thought to be over 1,000 years old. The name of the tropical disease Dengue fever comes straight from the Swahili.
Useful phrases
Hello. Jambo.
She’s a shopaholic. Anatumia pesa.
Do I not like that? Nadharau hiyo?
IRISH GAELIC
Gaelic, the ancient Irish language dating back to the fourth century AD, is still spoken as a native language by 133,000 Irishmen, particularly on the west coast, and as a second language by another 1.6m. It is closely related to Scottish Gaelic and Manx, the native language of the Isle of Man. Bog, shamrock and hooligan are all Irish Gaelic words.
Useful phrases
Cheers! Slainte!
How are you? Cad é mar a tá tú?
It’s brass monkeys out there. Ta se fuar.
Irish Gaelic, as seen on this Irish pub sign, is spoken by 133,000 people as a first language
TAGALOG
Tagalog is spoken by 28m people in south-eastern Asia and the Pacific. Along with English, it is the official language of the Philippines and, in its standardised form, is known as Filipino. Our words yo-yo and boondocks are both of Tagalog origin.
Useful phrases
Welcome! Maligayang pagdating!
What a lovely day. Magandang araw.
What can I do you for? Anong gusto mo?
PASHTO
Pashto, spoken by around 50m people, is the native language of the Pashtun people of Central Asia, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is derived from Avestan, the oldest surviving Iranian language.
Useful phrases
Please. Meherabaanee okree.
Sorry. Bsnh.
He’s absolutely chuffed. Hegheh khosha leh da.
ICELANDIC
Spoken by 320,000 people, Icelandic is a form of Nordic. It is derived from the Old Norse language spoken by the Scandinavians who first colonised Iceland in the ninth century AD. The English word geyser describing a hot, steaming natural spring comes from the Icelandic.
Useful phrases
Merry Christmas. Gleoileg jol og farsaelt komandi ar.
Long time, no see! Langt sidan vid hofum sest!
I love you, Georgie Best. Eg elska pig, Georgie Best.
English is usual language spoken in the Rovers Return, the pub in the Manchester-set soap opera Coronation Street, but Manchester is multilingual (file image showing the Duchess of Cornwall visiting the soap opera set)
AFRIKAANS
Afrikaans, spoken by 6.86m native speakers in South Africa, is a Germanic language imported by Dutch colonialists to Africa in the 17th century. It is one of the most closely-related languages to English. It is widely used in South Africa and neighbouring Namibia, largely by the white and mixed race populations. English takes both apartheid and aardvark from Afrikaans.
Useful phrases
How do? Hoe gaan dit met jou?
Happy New Year! Geseende Kersfees en’n gelukkige nuwe jaar!
How much is the Boddingtons in the Rovers Return? Hoeveel kos dit Boddingtons in Rovers Return?
UYGHUR
Uyghur is spoken by around 10m people, largely in the Xinjiang region of China, as well as Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. First recorded in the fifth century BC, it is an unusual mix of Arabic, Persian, Russian and Chinese.
Useful phrases
Morning. Attiganlikingz khayrilik bolsun.
How’s tricks? Nima boldi?
I’m dying for a cuppa. Qay bolsla bolidu.
Uyghur is the language of around 10m people, most of whom live in China's Xinjiang province
*Szia, barat!
Read more: 200 languages spoken in Manchester by its population of just 480,000 | Mail Online
The city is also the third most ethinically diverse in the world after Paris and New York, more diverse even than London.
Can you speak Eleme, Nahuatl or Uyghur? Then you'll find someone to chat to in Manchester, where 200 languages are spoken by its population of just 480,000
- The Multicultural Manchester project found city third most diverse in world
- Immigration over centuries means languages from every continent spoken
- Rare languages heard there include Lingala, Idomo, Ewe, Konkani and Igbo
By Harry Mount
15 August 2013
Daily Mail
Manchester is the third most ethnically diverse city in the world after Paris and New York according to fascinating new research.
An astonishing 200 languages are spoken there by a population of less than half a million, making the northern city known for Coronation Street and club music more multicultural than London.
Despite having a relatively small population of 480,000, immigration means that dozens of rare languages are spoken in Manchester including Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs, Zulu, from South Africa, and Dari, from Afghanistan.
Melting pot: Thanks to years of immigration, Manchester is the third most ethnically diverse city in the world
You will also hear Lingala, Idomo and Ewe on the city's streets, not to mention Eleme, a Nigerian dialect spoken by just 3,000 people worldwide, Igbo and Konkani.
The findings of the Multicultural Manchester project showed that nearly half of the city's population spoke at least two languages, while only three per cent said they were unable to speak English, with 80 per cent of the population saying they could speak it well or very well.
The project's Professor Yaron Matras, who is a professor of linguistics at Manchester University, said having such a multilingual population was of enormous benefit to the city's economy, opening the doorway to business links with hundreds of countries worldwide.
He told the Manchester Evening News: 'We are receiving a very important resource for free.
'Language skills are often in demand, with online adverts in the first part of 2013 offering jobs in customer service, sales, marketing, management roles and teaching.'
Manchester's 153-plus languages (researchers believe the figure is nearer 200) are the result of immigration into the city over centuries.
Among the first immigrants were the Romans, who in around 79AD built a fort near the rivers Medlock and Irwell which they named "Mancunium", from an ancient British Celtic word meaning "breast shaped hill". It became a prosperous mill-town, and Manchester's population grew most rapidly around the turn of the 19th century with the industrial revolution.
Now known for its culture, engineering and sports industries in particular - as well as to Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs - Manchester is the fastest-growing city in the UK.
Harry Mount is the author of How England Made the English, published by Viking
WHAT'S 'EH UP CHUCK' IN ZULU?* A PHRASEBOOK FOR MANCUNIANS
NAHUATL
Spoken by 1.5m Nahua people in Mexico and El Salvador, Nahuatl is the ancient language of the Aztecs, used in Central America since the seventh century AD. Some Nahuatl words such as avocado, chocolate and tomato have found their way into English via Spanish.
Useful phrases
You can’t have your cake and eat it. Oppa icuitl quicua.
I’m feeling right poorly. Nicocoya.
That’s champion! Hue kaulli!
FARSI
Farsi, spoken by 110m people, is another name for the Iranian or Persian language, spoken widely in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Its origins go back to the sixth century BC. The English words assassin and caravan both come from the Persian.
Useful phrases
Your good health! Be salamati!
Would you like to dance? Dust darid ba man beraqsid?
It isn’t my round. Un baraye hameci pul mide.
Nahuatl, which gave us the word tomato, is spoken by 1.5m people in Mexico and El Salvador (file picture)
ZULU
Isizulu, or the Zulu language, is spoken by around 10m people, mostly in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries. Before the arrival of European missionaries in the 19th century, it had never been formally written down. Zulu has given us such words as impala and mamba to describe an antelope and a snake respectively.
Useful phrases
What are you called? Ngubani igama lakho?
What’s the time? Isikhathi sithini?
Ta very much. Ngiyabonga kakhulu.
YIDDISH
A German-Jewish language, Yiddish is spoken by 1.8m people across the world, principally in the countries settled by Jews after the 19th century pogroms and the Nazi holocaust. First recorded in central Europe in the 10th century, it is a mixture of Hebrew, German and Latin. Yiddish words are still widely used in New York, home to millions of Jewish refugees - schmaltz, schmooze and schmuck all come from Yiddish.
Useful phrases
You’re beautiful to me. Bei mir bist du shayn.
How terrible! Oy gevalt!
Best of luck, Sir Alex Ferguson! Mazel tov, Fergie!
Zulu, the language of the largest ethnic group in South Africa, is spoken in Manchester (file picture)
KURDISH
An Iranian dialect, Kurdish is spoken by 21m native speakers in western Asia, including Iraq, Turkey and Iran. With its nine vowels, it is a notoriously difficult language to master.
Useful phrases
Thanks so much. Zor supas.
You look like the back end of a bus. To nashrinit.
Get your coat, love, you’ve pulled. Wara bolam.
SAMOAN
Samoan is a Polynesian language, spoken by 377,000 inhabitants of the Samoa and American Samoa islands in the South Pacific. It has three different dialects: a formal, informal and ceremonial one. Our word tattoo is borrowed from the Samoan.
Useful phrases
Do you speak English? Ete tautala Igilisi?
I’ve had it up to here! Ua lava!
Nice day at work, love? O fa’apefea mai lou aso?
Finnish is spoken in Finland and Manchester - picture shows the Finnish capital, Helsinki
SWAHILI
Spoken by 6m native speakers in eastern Africa, Swahili is widely used in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It is thought to be over 1,000 years old. The name of the tropical disease Dengue fever comes straight from the Swahili.
Useful phrases
Hello. Jambo.
She’s a shopaholic. Anatumia pesa.
Do I not like that? Nadharau hiyo?
IRISH GAELIC
Gaelic, the ancient Irish language dating back to the fourth century AD, is still spoken as a native language by 133,000 Irishmen, particularly on the west coast, and as a second language by another 1.6m. It is closely related to Scottish Gaelic and Manx, the native language of the Isle of Man. Bog, shamrock and hooligan are all Irish Gaelic words.
Useful phrases
Cheers! Slainte!
How are you? Cad é mar a tá tú?
It’s brass monkeys out there. Ta se fuar.
Irish Gaelic, as seen on this Irish pub sign, is spoken by 133,000 people as a first language
TAGALOG
Tagalog is spoken by 28m people in south-eastern Asia and the Pacific. Along with English, it is the official language of the Philippines and, in its standardised form, is known as Filipino. Our words yo-yo and boondocks are both of Tagalog origin.
Useful phrases
Welcome! Maligayang pagdating!
What a lovely day. Magandang araw.
What can I do you for? Anong gusto mo?
PASHTO
Pashto, spoken by around 50m people, is the native language of the Pashtun people of Central Asia, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is derived from Avestan, the oldest surviving Iranian language.
Useful phrases
Please. Meherabaanee okree.
Sorry. Bsnh.
He’s absolutely chuffed. Hegheh khosha leh da.
ICELANDIC
Spoken by 320,000 people, Icelandic is a form of Nordic. It is derived from the Old Norse language spoken by the Scandinavians who first colonised Iceland in the ninth century AD. The English word geyser describing a hot, steaming natural spring comes from the Icelandic.
Useful phrases
Merry Christmas. Gleoileg jol og farsaelt komandi ar.
Long time, no see! Langt sidan vid hofum sest!
I love you, Georgie Best. Eg elska pig, Georgie Best.
English is usual language spoken in the Rovers Return, the pub in the Manchester-set soap opera Coronation Street, but Manchester is multilingual (file image showing the Duchess of Cornwall visiting the soap opera set)
AFRIKAANS
Afrikaans, spoken by 6.86m native speakers in South Africa, is a Germanic language imported by Dutch colonialists to Africa in the 17th century. It is one of the most closely-related languages to English. It is widely used in South Africa and neighbouring Namibia, largely by the white and mixed race populations. English takes both apartheid and aardvark from Afrikaans.
Useful phrases
How do? Hoe gaan dit met jou?
Happy New Year! Geseende Kersfees en’n gelukkige nuwe jaar!
How much is the Boddingtons in the Rovers Return? Hoeveel kos dit Boddingtons in Rovers Return?
UYGHUR
Uyghur is spoken by around 10m people, largely in the Xinjiang region of China, as well as Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. First recorded in the fifth century BC, it is an unusual mix of Arabic, Persian, Russian and Chinese.
Useful phrases
Morning. Attiganlikingz khayrilik bolsun.
How’s tricks? Nima boldi?
I’m dying for a cuppa. Qay bolsla bolidu.
Uyghur is the language of around 10m people, most of whom live in China's Xinjiang province
*Szia, barat!
Read more: 200 languages spoken in Manchester by its population of just 480,000 | Mail Online
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