[2] Tunisian is built upon a significant phoenician, African Romance[3][4] and Neo-Punic[5][6] substratum, while its vocabulary is mostly derived from Arabic and a morphological corruption of French, Italian and English.

[10][11] Berber languages (called "shelha" by Arabs) are mainly spoken in the villages of the south, including Chenini, Douiret, Matmata and Tamezrett.

From independence, the country gradually became arabized even though the public administration and education remained bilingual.

[12] Meanwhile, knowledge of French and other European languages (such as English) is enhanced by Tunisia's proximity to Europe and by media and tourism.

[12] This is because French is widely used in the business community, intellectual domains and the spheres of natural science and medicine.

[13] According to recent estimates provided by the Tunisian government to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, the number of French speakers in the country is estimated at 6.36 million people, or 63.6% of the population, almost all as a second language.