Language

The majority of the records from the time of British colonization have been retained in English, which is the official language of Liberia. More than thirty different languages are spoken in Liberia, which is a multilingual nation. More than 20 indigenous languages, which represent the many ethnic groups that make up more than 95% of the population, are spoken in addition to English, which is the official language. There is no clear majority among the other language groups. Four language families—Mande, Kru, Mel, and the divergent language Gola—can be used to classify the native tongues.

English has remained the most widely spoken language in Liberia ever since the nation was first established in 1824. Liberian Pidgin English, sometimes referred to as Liberian Kreyol language or Liberian English, is spoken by an estimated 3 million people in Liberia and is the country's official language. A pidgin language is a linguistically streamlined form of communication that emerges between two or more groups who do not share a common language. Typically, it has a restricted vocabulary and frequently borrows grammar from multiple languages. It is most frequently used in situations involving trade or when both parties speak tongues other than the national tongue of the country where they both dwell. A pidgin, whether it is created impromptu or by convention, is fundamentally a simpler form of verbal communication between individuals or groups of individuals.