Language adjectives
In the English language, a variety of French-derived words exist to denote a connection to a specific language. This brief article discusses a few of these words that when used as adjectives, literally mean "speaking a particular language." When used as nouns, these words can also mean a "person that speaks this particular language."
- In Canada, the following three words are used very commonly to refer to things and people relating to the nation's official languages:
- Anglophone - refers to SomeOne or something that is "English-speaking"
- Francophone - refers to someone or something that is "French-speaking"
- Allophone - when used in Quebec, refers to someone that is neither French nor English-speaking but uses another language as their primary language
- Other language words that exist but are used less commonly include:
- Sinophone - Chinese-speaking
- Danophone - Danish-speaking
- Dutchophone - Dutch-speaking
- Finnophone - Finnish-speaking
- Gaelophone - Gaelic-speaking
- Germanophone - German-speaking
- Grecophone - Greek-speaking
- Italophone - Italian-speaking
- Lusophone - Portuguese-speaking
- Russophone - Russian-speaking
- Spanophone - Spanish-speaking
- Swedophone - Swedish-speaking