Public Research: Mothertongue (Part 4 - Europe)

[HerenIstarion]

Part of Public Research Project (http://69.51.5.41/showthread.php?p=440718#post440718)

This is yet another angle of approach to mothertongue question (or, precisely, narrowing it down) The poll enlists most numerous languages of Europe.

This is a list of top 10 most spoken languages in Europe.

Russian over 100 000 000 (mainly in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus)
German 98 000 000 (mainly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland)
French 66 000 000 (mainly in France, Belgium and Switzerland)
English 65 000 000 (mainly in the UK and Ireland)
Italian 58 000 000 (mainly in Italy)
Spanish 44 000 000 (mainly in Spain)
Polish 39 000 000 (mainly in Poland)
Ukrainian 39 000 000 (mainly in Ukraine)
Romanian 24 000 000 (mainly in Romania and Moldova)
Dutch 22 000 000 (mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium)

I count that the rest of the world has different numbers of distribution, but, seing as Civilizations (http://69.51.5.41/showthread.php?t=12543) poll has shown that majority of our members view themselves as belonging to Western Civilization, that the list pretty well covers that majority.

[Lalaith]

Can we have "other"?

[HerenIstarion]

Can we have "other"?

Not really. You don't see option suitable, you don't vote (per instance, myself :)). This is more focused version of other language surveys, studying largest group of more general polls.

[wilwarin538]

I have two mother tongues,(I speek in both of them on a daily basis) so I just clicked French, English is the other one.

[Lush]

I have two mother tongues as well. Russian and Ukrainian. But I picked Russian because it was spoken more often in my house. Nowadays I think the pendulum is beginning to sway toward Ukrainian (thank you, Orange Revolution).

[Holbytlass]

Just English, one language-how boring :rolleyes:
Did do the required 2 year study of Spanish in high school.

Hola! Me llamo es Holby, e tu? Como estas? Muy bein!
(My apologies to Spanish speaking people, I probably butchered that)

[A_Brandybuck]

My mothertongue is German.

Besides German, I am speaking English (surprise surprise :) ), French and a little bit of Dutch.
Well my French speech was better in earlier times. I spoke French the last time 5 years ago. But although I am not able to speak really Dutch, I am able to understand that, because of the close relation to English and German. :)

I don't count Spanish and Italian to my languages, but I can order a coffee. ;)

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Though German is my mother-tongue, as I learned it first, I cannot remember a time when I did not also speak English, and my entire school and college education was in English (well, American ;) ). So I consider myself bilingual.

[Guinevere]

My mothertongue is a German dialect (Schwyzerdütsch) but the written language is German proper. I also speak French and a little Italian, (since Switzerland has a French- and an Italian-speaking part.) In addition I can speak Norwegian. And, obiously, English. :D

[Eönwë]

I also have Hebrew (and no I am not Jewish)

[Elmo]

English, but with a heavy Scots flavour ken?

[Finduilas]

English, but with a heavy Scots flavour ken?

Nah, I dinna ken. ;)

[littlemanpoet]

I probably should have asked this before I voted: what about us in the U.S. - mostly immigrants? My mother's tongue is English, but I'm all Dutch from way back. ???