Is there a lingua franca in East Timor?

Tim Hofstetter is right, but there are actually three lingua francas in East Timor. As mentioned earlier, there's Tetum. read more

Tim Hofstetter is right, but there are actually three lingua francas in East Timor. As mentioned earlier, there's Tetum. Tetum is the native language of the Timorese people, the first official language of the country, and is virtually spoken by the entire population. read more

Indonesian, a language based on traditional Malay and with which it is mutually intelligible, but also influenced by various languages such as Dutch, Sanskrit, Javanese, Arabic, and Portuguese, serves as a lingua franca throughout Indonesia and East Timor (where it is considered a working language), areas that are home to over 700 indigenous languages. read more

The languages of East Timor include both Austronesian and Papuan languages. (See Timor–Flores languages and Timor–Alor–Pantar languages.) The lingua franca and national language of East Timor is Tetum, an Austronesian language influenced by Portuguese, with which it has equal status as an official language. read more