Languages of Panama
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Panama.]
Republic of Panama, República de Panamá. 3,232,000. National or official language: Spanish. Literacy rate: 87%–88%. Immigrant languages: Eastern Yiddish, Hebrew, Japanese (1,200), Korean. Also includes speakers of Arabic varieties (15,000). Information mainly from P. Cohen 1976; SIL 1970–1998. Blind population: 2,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population: 159,456. The number of individual languages listed for Panama is 14. Of those, all are living languages.
| Buglere | [sab]
2,500 (1986 SIL). Mountains of western Panama.
Alternate names: Bobota, Bocota, Bofota, Bogota, Bokota, Bukueta, Murire, Nortenyo, Veraguas Sabanero.
Dialects: Sabanero, Bokotá.
Classification: Chibchan, Guaymi
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| 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
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| Chinese, Yue | [yue]
Panama City, Colón, larger towns of interior.
Alternate names: Cantonese, Yue, Yueh.
Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
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| Emberá, Northern | [emp]
10,500 in Panama (2000). Population total all countries: 60,200. Southeastern Panama, Darién area, lowland jungle. Also in Colombia.
Alternate names: Atrato, Cholo, Darien, Dariena, Ebera Bedea, Eerã, Empera, Panama Embera.
Dialects: Related languages in order of closeness: Emberá-Catíoc[cto], Emberá-Baudó [bdc], Emberá-Tadó [tdc], Epena [sja], Emberá-Chamí [cmi], and Wounmeu [noa]. 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
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| Emberá-Catío | [cto]
40 in Panama (1982 SIL).
Alternate names: Catío, Embena, Epera, Katio.
Classification: Choco, Embera, Northern
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| Epena | [sja]
Southeastern Panama.
Alternate names: Cholo, Embera, Emberá-Saija, Epéna Pedée, Epena Saija, Saija, Southern, Southern Empera.
Dialects: Basurudo.
Classification: Choco, Embera, Southern
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| Kuna, Border | [kvn]
700 in Panama (1991 SIL). Southeastern Panama, villages of Paya and Pucuro.
Alternate names: Caiman Nuevo, Colombia Cuna, Cuna, Kuna de la Frontera, Long Hair Cuna, Paya-Pucuro Kuna.
Classification: Chibchan, Kuna
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| Kuna, San Blas | [cuk]
57,100 (2000). 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
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| Ngäbere | [gym]
128,000 in Panama (1990 census). Population total all countries: 133,090. Northeastern Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro, western Veraguas, western provinces. Also in Costa Rica.
Alternate names: Chiriqui, Guaymí, Ngobere, Valiente.
Dialects: Valiente, Eastern Guaymí (Tolé, Chiriquí).
Classification: Chibchan, Guaymi
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| Panamanian Creole English | [jam]
268,000 in Panama (2000). Bocas del Toro, Colón, and Rio Abajo in Panama City.
Alternate names: Southwestern Caribbean Creole English.
Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western
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| San Miguel Creole French | [scf]
3 (1999 SIL).
Classification: Creole, French based
Nearly extinct.
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| Spanish | [spa]
2,100,000 in Panama (1995). Enclaves.
Alternate names: Castellano, Español.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
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| Teribe | [tfr]
3,000 in Panama (1996 SIL). Population total all countries: 3,005. Northwest area, Changuinola, Teribe River. Also in Costa Rica.
Alternate names: Naso, Nortenyo, Quequexque, Terraba, Tiribi, Tirribi.
Classification: Chibchan, Talamanca
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| Woun Meu | [noa]
3,000 in Panama. Population total all countries: 6,000. Southeast Panama, lowlands. Also in Colombia.
Alternate names: Chanco, Chocama, Noanama, Noenama, Nonama, Waumeo, Waun Meo, Waunana, Wounmeu.
Classification: Choco
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