Small NETSTATE map graphic NETSTATE title banner Small NETSTATE map graphic

Official State Languages

Official languages listed by adoption year. (List by State or Year)
State Name Designated as YearList by adoption year
Nebraska English Official language of this state, and all official proceedings, records and publications shall be in such language, and the common school branches shall be taught in said language in public, private, denominational and parochial schools. [ Source: Neb. Const. art. I, sec. 27 (1920); Adopted 1920, Constitutional Convention, 1919-1920, No. 3. ] 1920
Illinois English Official language of the State of Illinois 1969
Hawaii English/Hawaiian English and Hawaiian shall be the official languages of Hawaii, except that Hawaiian shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law. (Hawaii Constitution, Art. XV § 4) 1978
Hawaii Hawaiian Native language of Hawaii 1978
Indiana English Official language of the state of Indiana 1984
Kentucky English Official state language of Kentucky 1984
Tennessee English Official and legal language of Tennessee 1984
California English Official language of California (California Constitution Art. III § 6) 1986
Georgia English Official language of the State of Georgia 1986/1996
Arkansas English Official language of the State of Arkansas 1987
Mississippi English official language of the State of Mississippi 1987
North Carolina English Official language of the State of North Carolina 1987
North Dakota English Official language of the state of North Dakota 1987
South Carolina English Official language of the State of South Carolina 1987
Colorado English Official language of the state of Colorado (Colorodo Constitution Art. II § 30a) 1988
Florida English Official language of the state of Florida (Florida Constitution, Art. II § 9) 1988
Alabama English Official language of the state of Alabama (Alabama Consttitutional Amendment 509) 1990
Maine American sign language Official state language of the deaf community 1991
Montana English Official and primary language of the state and local governments; government officers and employees acting in the course and scope of their employment; and government documents and records. 1995
New Hampshire English Official language of the state of New Hampshire 1995
South Dakota English Common language of the state 1995
Virginia English Official language of the Commonwealth 1996
Wyoming English Official language of Wyoming 1996
Alaska English Official language of the State of Alaska 1998
Utah English Official language of Utah 2000
Iowa English Official language of the state of Iowa 2002
Arizona English Official language of the state of Arizona (Arizona Constitution Art. 28 § 1-6) 2006
Idaho English Official language of the state of Idaho 2007
Kansas English Official language of the state of Kansas 2007
Connecticut [ None ]    
Delaware [ None ]    
Louisiana [ None ]    
Maryland [ None ]    
Massachusetts [ None ]    
Michigan [ None ]    
Minnesota [ None ]    
Missouri [ None ]    
Nevada [ None ]    
New Jersey [ None ]    
New Mexico [ None ]    
New York [ None ]    
Ohio [ None ]    
Oklahoma [ None ]    
Oregon [ None ]    
Pennsylvania [ None ]    
Rhode Island [ None ]    
Texas [ None ]    
Vermont [ None ]    
Washington [ None ]    
West Virginia [ None ]    
Wisconsin [ None ]    

History of the English Language: by English Professor Daniel W. Mosser, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, by David Crystal. 506 pages. Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (August 4, 2003) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language is one of the publishing phenomena of recent times. Rarely has a book so packed with accurate and well researched factual information been so widely read and popularly acclaimed. This Second Edition now presents an overhaul of the subject for a new generation of language-lovers. The length of the book has increased by 16 pages and there are 44 new illustrations, extensive new material on world English and Internet English, and a complete updating of statistics, further reading suggestions and other references.
The Story of English: Third Revised Edition
The Story
of English

The Story of English: Third Revised Edition, by Robert McCrum, Robert MacNeil, William Cran. 496 pages. Penguin (Non-Classics); 3 edition (December 31, 2002) Originally paired with a major PBS miniseries, this book presents a stimulating and comprehensive record of spoken and written English-from its Anglo-Saxon origins some two thousand years ago to the present day, when English is the dominant language of commerce and culture with more than one billion English speakers around the world. From Cockney, Scouse, and Scots to Gulla, Singlish, Franglais, and the latest African American slang, this sweeping history of the English language is the essential introduction for anyone who wants to know more about our common tongue.
A History of the English Language
A History of the
English Language

A History of the English Language, by Albert C. Baugh, Thomas Cable. 447 pages. Prentice Hall; 5 edition (November 19, 2001) For courses in the History of the English Language (English Composition). Comprehensive and balanced, this classic exploration of the history of the English language combines internal linguistic history and external cultural history--from the Middle Ages to the present. Students are encouraged to develop both an understanding of present-day English and an enlightened attitude toward questions affecting the language today.