121,000 (1995). U.S. Territory. 50 small islands plus St. John, St. Croix, St. Thomas. Literacy rate 90% to 95%. Christian, secular. Deaf institutions: 2. Data accuracy estimate: B. The number of languages listed for U.S. Virgin Islands is 3. Of those, 2 are living languages and 1 is extinct.
DUTCH CREOLE (NEGERHOLLANDS) [DCR] Leeward Islands, US Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, St. John, a few in Puerto Rico. Creole, Dutch based. The last speaker has died. There may be some remaining second language speakers. NT 1781-1833. Extinct.
ENGLISH [ENG] 8,414 mother tongue speakers in U.S. Virgin Islands (1970 census); 322,000,000 in all countries (1995 WA). Indo-European, Germanic, West, North Sea, English. National language. Bible 1535-1989. NT 1525-1985. Bible portions 1530-1987.
LESSER ANTILLEAN CREOLE ENGLISH [VIB] 52,250 in U.S. Virgin Islands (1980 WA); 350,000 in all countries. Virgin Islands to Tobago. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern. St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, and Saba are closest. Slightly intelligible with Jamaican and perhaps Bahamas Creole. Alleyne says it is post-creole English. Survey needed.
Part of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor.
Copyright © 1996, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc. All rights reserved.
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