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🗣️ World Languages
🇫🇷 French
Language of diplomacy; official in 29 countries; second most studied language globally
France 842 World Languages
🗣️ Key Facts
1
280 million speakers; official in 29 countries spanning 5 continents
2
Second most learned language in the world; official language of the UN, EU, NATO, UNESCO, IOC
3
Académie française (founded 1635) regulates French — one of the oldest and most prestigious language institutions
French was the language of diplomacy worldwide from the 17th–20th century; the Strasbourg Oaths (842 AD) is the oldest known French text
Quick Reference
Category
🗣️ World Languages
Country/Origin
🇫🇷 France
Year / Era
842
About
Language of diplomacy; official in 29 countries; second most studied language globally