Editing Luxembourg (section)

=== Language ===
{{Main|Languages of Luxembourg|Multilingualism in Luxembourg|Luxembourg literature}}
Luxembourg does not have any "official" languages per se. As determined by the 1984 Language Regimen Act (French: ''Loi sur le régime des langues''), [[Luxembourgish]] is the sole [[national language]] of the Luxembourgish people.<ref name="auto"/> It is considered the mother tongue or "language of the heart" for Luxembourgers and the language they generally use to speak or write to each other. Luxembourgish as well as the dialects in adjacent Germany belong to the [[Moselle Franconian]] subgroup of the main [[West Central German]] dialect group, which are largely mutually intelligible across the border, but Luxembourgish also has more than 5,000 words of French origin.<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins of Luxembourgish (in French)|url=http://www.sprooch.com/sproochbe/conferences/conference1/Les%20origines%20et%20l%27histoire%20de%20la%20langue%20luxembourgeoise.doc|publisher=Migration Information Source|access-date=8 February 2010|archive-date=21 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221195439/http://www.sprooch.com/sproochbe/conferences/conference1/Les%20origines%20et%20l%27histoire%20de%20la%20langue%20luxembourgeoise.doc|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=14 December 2000|title=Parlement européen – Lëtzebuergesch léieren (FR)|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/language/apprendrelu_fr.htm|access-date=2 April 2015|publisher=Europarl.europa.eu|archive-date=25 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225170654/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/language/apprendrelu_fr.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Knowledge of Luxembourgish is a criterion for [[naturalization]].<ref>{{cite book | editor-last=Bauböck | editor-first=Rainer | editor-last2=Ersbøll | editor-first2=Eva | editor-last3=Groenendijk | editor-first3=C. A. | editor-last4=Waldrauch | editor-first4=Harald | title=Acquisition and loss of nationality: policies and trends in 15 European states. Volume 2, Country analyses | publisher=Amsterdam University Press | location=Amsterdam | date=2006 | isbn=978-90-485-0446-6 | oclc=122909816 | chapter=Luxembourg | first1=Francois | last1=Moyse | first2=Pierre | last2=Brasseur | first3=Denis | last3=Scuto | pages=367–390 | url=https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/83814b06-2b96-4c32-b8d5-670a28f6bc60/340146.pdf | access-date=24 February 2023 | archive-date=24 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224235445/https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/83814b06-2b96-4c32-b8d5-670a28f6bc60/340146.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref>

In addition to Luxembourgish, French and German are used in administrative and judicial matters, making all three [[administrative language]]s of Luxembourg.<ref name="auto"/> Per article 4 of the law promulgated in 1984, if a citizen asks a question in Luxembourgish, German or French, the administration must reply, as far as possible, in the language in which the question was asked.<ref name="auto"/>

[[File:Bank multilingual luxembourg.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Advertisement from a bank in Luxembourg with translations in (clockwise from top left) Luxembourgish, German, English, French, and Portuguese]]
Luxembourg is largely multilingual. According to 2021 census data, 48.9% of citizens claimed Luxembourgish as their main language, 15.4% Portuguese, 14.9% French, 3.6% English, 3.6% Italian, 2.9% German and 10.8% different languages (the most spoken ones being Spanish, Arabic, Dutch, Russian, Polish and Romanian).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=La diversité linguistique |url=https://statistiques.public.lu/fr/recensement/diversite-linguistique.html#video |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=statistiques.public.lu |language=fr}}</ref> 
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Main language
! colspan="2" |2021 census<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=La diversité linguistique |url=https://statistiques.public.lu/fr/recensement/diversite-linguistique.html#video |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=statistiques.public.lu |language=fr}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011 census<ref name=":7" />
|-
!Absolute
!%
!Absolute
!%
|-
|[[Luxembourgish]] 
|275,361
|48.9%
|265,731
|55.8%
|-
|[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]
|86,598
|15.4%
|74,636
|15.7%
|-
|[[French language|French]]
|83,802
|14.9%
|57,633
|12.1%
|-
|[[English language|English]]
|20,316
|3.6%
|10,018
|2.1%
|-
|[[Italian language|Italian]]
|20,021
|3.6%
|13,896
|2.9%
|-
|[[German language|German]]
|16,412
|2.9%
|14,658
|3.1%
|-
|Other languages
|60,582
|10.8%
|40,042
|8.4%
|-
|Total
|563.092
|100%
|476,614
|100%
|}
Though not the most common mother tongue in Luxembourg, French is the most widely-known language in the country: in 2021, 98% of citizens were able to speak it to a high level.<ref name="luxembourg.public.lu">{{Cite web|title=What languages do people speak in Luxembourg?|url=http://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/languages/languages-spoken-luxembourg.html|access-date=13 September 2021|website=luxembourg.public.lu|language=en|archive-date=21 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621143934/https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/languages/languages-spoken-luxembourg.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The vast majority of Luxembourg residents are able to speak it as a second or third language.<ref name="admin">{{Cite web|date=12 August 2020|title=D'Lëtzebuergescht, bald eng langue morte?!|url=https://guykaiser.lu/dletzebuergescht-bald-eng-langue-morte/|access-date=16 October 2021|website=Guy Kaiser Online|archive-date=16 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016163621/https://guykaiser.lu/dletzebuergescht-bald-eng-langue-morte/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, much of the population was able to speak multiple other languages: 80% of citizens reported being able to hold a conversation in English, 78% in German and 77% in Luxembourgish, claiming these languages as their respective second, third or fourth language.<ref name="luxembourg.public.lu" />

Each of the three official languages is used as a primary language in certain spheres of everyday life, without being exclusive. Luxembourgish is the language that Luxembourgers generally use to speak and write to each other, and there has been a recent{{When|date=December 2023}} increase in the production of novels and movies in the language.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} At the same time, the numerous expatriate workers (approximately 44% of the population) generally do not use it to speak to each other.<ref>{{Cite web|last=STATEC|date=2013|title=Informations statistiques récentes STATEC|url=https://statistiques.public.lu/fr/actualites/population/population/2013/04/20130418/20130418.pdf|access-date=17 September 2021|archive-date=20 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920133822/https://statistiques.public.lu/fr/actualites/population/population/2013/04/20130418/20130418.pdf}}</ref>

Most official business and written communication is carried out in French, which is also the language mostly used for public communication, with written official statements, advertising displays and road signs generally in French. Due to the historical influence of the Napoleonic Code on the legal system of the Grand Duchy, French is also the sole language of the legislation and generally the preferred language of the government, administration and justice. Parliamentary debates are mostly conducted in Luxembourgish, whereas written government communications and official documents (e.g. administrative or judicial decisions, passports, etc.) are drafted mostly in French and sometimes additionally in German.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Although professional life is largely multilingual, French is described by private sector business leaders as the main working language of their companies (56%), followed by Luxembourgish (20%), English (18%), and German (6%).<ref>Les langues dans les offres d'emploi au Luxembourg (1984–2014), Université du Luxembourg, IPSE Identités, Politiques, Sociétés, Espaces, Working Paper, Juin 2015</ref>

German is very often used in much of the media along with French and is considered by most Luxembourgers their second language. This is mostly due to the high similarity of German to Luxembourgish but also because it is the first language taught to children in primary school (language of literacy acquisition).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eu2005.lu/fr/savoir_lux/lux_publications/a_propos_langues/a_propos_langues.pdf |title=À propos des langues |access-date=1 August 2006 |pages=3–4 |publisher=Service Information et Presse |language=fr |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927052425/http://www.eu2005.lu/fr/savoir_lux/lux_publications/a_propos_langues/a_propos_langues.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Due to the large [[Portuguese in Luxembourg|community of Portuguese origin]], the Portuguese language is fairly prevalent in Luxembourg, though it remains limited to the relationships inside this community. Portuguese has no official status, but the administration sometimes makes certain informative documents available in Portuguese.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alphatrad.com/news/portuguese-in-luxembourg |title=The Portuguese in Luxembourg: key statistics, history and origins |website=Optilingua Europe |first=Frédéric |last=Ibanez |date=18 July 2023 |access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/zfs-2012-0004/html |title=Code-switching practices in Luxembourg's Portuguese-speaking minority: A pilot study on the distinctive characteristics of an immigrant community’s code-switching practices within a trilingual majority |journal=Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft |volume=31 |issue=1 |first1=Gerald |last1=Stell |first2=Carmen |last2=Parafita Couto |date=2012 |pp=153–185 |doi=10.1515/zfs-2012-0004|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Even though Luxembourg is largely multilingual today, some people claim that Luxembourg is subject of intense [[francization]] and that Luxembourgish and German are in danger of disappearing in the country. This would make Luxembourg either a unilingual Francophone country, or at best a bilingual French- and English-speaking country sometime in the far future.<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 February 2021|title=Lëtzebuergesch gëtt ëmmer méi aus dem Alldag verdrängt|url=https://www.moien.lu/letzebuergesch-gett-verdrangt/|access-date=16 October 2021|website=MOIEN.LU|language=lb|archive-date=16 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016173831/https://www.moien.lu/letzebuergesch-gett-verdrangt/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Katar auf Europäisch|language=de|work=Tages-Anzeiger|url=https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/ausland/europa/katar-auf-europaeisch/story/12415559|access-date=16 October 2021|issn=1422-9994|archive-date=16 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016173829/https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/ausland/europa/katar-auf-europaeisch/story/12415559|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="admin"/>

{{See also|Luxembourgish#Endangered status claims}}