List Of Endangered Languages

In order to judge if a language is endangered, the number of speakers is less important than the age distribution; there may be 500,000 speakers of the Breton over 50 years of age, but fewer than 2,000 under 25 years of age - it is likely Breton will die out in the next half-century. There are languages in Indonesia reported to be in a similar situation with as many as two million native speakers alive now, but all of advancing age, with practically no transmission to the young. On the other hand, while there are 30,000 Ladin speakers left, almost all children still learn it as their mother tongue, thus Ladin is not endangered in the 21st Century . Similarly, Hawaiian has only about 1,000 speakers but it has stabilized at this number, and now has school instruction in the language from kindergarten through college.

While there are somewhere around six or seven thousand languages on Earth today, about half of them have fewer than about 3,000 speakers. Experts predict that even in a good scenario, about half of today's languages will go extinct within the next fifty to one hundred years. Accordingly, the list below presents only a sample of the approximately 3,000 currently endangered languages.

AFRICA

AMERICAS

Argentina

--- Ona . 1 to 3 speakers in 1991.

--- Puelche , 5 or 6 speakers.

--- Tehuelche (''Aoniken''), 4 speakers in 2000.

--- Vilela . 20 speakers in 1981.

Bolivia

--- Baure . 13 speakers in 2000.

--- Itonama . 10 speakers in 2000.

--- Leco . 20 speakers in 2001.

--- Pacahuara . 17 speakers in 2000.

--- Reyesano . Possibly a few speakers. Ethnic population about 4,000.

--- Uru . 2 speakers in 2000.

Brazil

--- Amanayé . Ethnic population: 60.

--- Anambé . 7 speakers in 1991.

--- Apiacá . 2 speakers in 1986.

--- Arikapú . 6 speakers in 1998.

--- Aruá . 12 speakers in 1990.

--- Arutani . 17 speakers in Brazil in 1986.

--- Aurá . 2 speakers in 2004 SIL).

--- Cafundo Creole . 40 speakers in 1978.

--- Guató . 40 speakers in 1993.

--- Himarimã . 40 speakers.

--- Jabutí . 5 speakers in 1990.

--- Jumá . 4 speakers in 1998. There were 300 in 1940.

--- Karahawyana . 40 speakers in 1995.

--- Karipuná . 12 to 15 speakers in 2000.

--- Katawixi . 10 speakers in 1986.

--- Katukína . 1 speaker in 1976. Ethnic population: 360.

--- Kreye . 30 speakers in 1995.

--- Mapidian . 50 in speakers in Brazil in 1986.

--- Matipuhy . 40 speakers in 1995.

--- Mondé . 30 speakers in 1995.

--- Ofayé . 15 speakers in 2002.

--- Omagua . There may be none left in Brazil since 1995.

--- Oro Win . 5 speakers in 1996.

--- Puruborá . 2 speakers in 2002.

--- Sikiana . 33 speakers in Brazil in 1986.

--- Tariano . 100 speakers in Brazil in 1996.

--- Torá . 40 speakers in 1990.

--- Tremembé .

--- Xetá . 3 speakers in 1990.

--- Xipaya . 2 speakers in 2000.

Canada

--- Abenaki . 20 speakers in 1991.

--- Beaver , 300 speakers in 1991.

--- Bella Coola . 20 speakers in 2002.

--- Cayuga , 40 to 60 speakers in 2002.

--- Chinook Wawa . 83 speakers in Canada in 1962.

--- Haida , Northern and Southern dialects, fewer than 40 speakers in Canada in 1995.

--- Haisla . 25 speakers in 1991.

--- Han . 7 or 8 speakers in Canada in 1997.

--- Kutenai . 6 speakers in Canada in 2002.

--- Michif .About 600 speakers in 1998.

--- Munsee . 7 or 8 speakers in 1991.

--- Oneida , fewer than 250 speakers in 1991.

--- Onondaga . 50 to 100 speakers in 1991.

--- Potawatomi , 100 speakers

--- Straits Salish . 20 speakers in Canada in 2002.

--- Sechelt . 40 speakers in 1990.

--- Sekani . 30 to 40 speakers in 1997.

--- Seneca . 25 speakers in 1991.

--- Squamish . 15 speakers in 2002.

--- Tagish . 2 speakers in 1995.

--- Tahltan . 35 speakers in 2002.

--- Tsuu T'ina or ''Sarsi''. 50 speakers in 1991.

--- Tuscarora . 7 or 8 speakers in Canada in 1991.

Chile

--- Qawasqar . 20 speakers in 1996.

--- Yaghan . 2 speakers in 2003.

Colombia

--- Cabiyarí . 50 speakers in 1976.

--- Tariano . Ethnic population: 332 in Colombia in 1998.

--- Tinigua . 2 speakers in 2000).

--- Totoro . 4 speakers in 1998.

--- Tunebo Angosturas . 50 speakers.

Costa Rica

--- Boruca . 5 women speakers in 1986. 30 to 35 nonfluent speakers.

Ecuador

--- Záparo . 1 speaker in 2000.

El Salvador

--- Lenca .

--- Pipil . 20 speakers in 1987.

Guatemala

--- Itza' . 12 speakers in 1986.

Guyana

--- Berbice Creole Dutch . 4 or 5 speakers in 1993.

--- Mapidian .

--- Mawayana . 50 speakers in 1986.

Honduras

--- Lenca . Only a few speakers in Honduras in 1993.

Mexico

--- Chiapanec . 17 speakers in 1990.

--- Kiliwa . 24 to 32 speakers in 1994.

--- Matlatzinca, Atzingo . 50 to 100 speakers in 1993.

--- San Francisco Matlatzinca Language1Matlatzinca, San Francisco .

--- Opata . 15 speakers in 1993.

--- Zapotec, Asunción Mixtepec . 100 speakers in 1990.

--- Zapotec, San Agustín Mixtepec . 59 speakers in 1994.

--- Zoque, Tabasco . 40 speakers in 1971.

Nicaragua

--- Rama . 24 speakers in 1989.

Panama

--- San Miguel Creole French . 3 speakers in 1999.

Peru

--- Cahuarano . 5 speakers in 1976.

--- Chamicuro . 2 speakers in 2000.

--- Iñapari . 4 speakers in 1999.

--- Iquito . 35 speakers in 2002.

--- Isconahua . 82 speakers in 2000.

--- Jebero .

--- Mascho Piro . 20 to 100 speakers in 1976.

--- Muniche . 3 speakers in 1988.

--- Omagua . 10 to 100 speakers in 1976.

--- Resígaro . 14 speakers in 1976.

--- Taushiro . 1 speaker in 2002.

Suriname

--- Akurio . 10 speakers in 2000.

--- Sikiana . 15 speakers in Suriname in 2001.

United States

--- Achumawi . 10 nonfluent speakers in 1997.

--- Ahtena . 80 speakers in 1995.

--- Kiowa Apache . 18 speakers in 1990.

--- Lipan Apache . 2 or 3 speakers in 1981.

--- Arikara . 20 speakers in 1997.

--- Atsugewi . 3 speakers in 1994.

--- Caddo . 25 speakers in 1997.

--- Cahuilla . 7 to 20 speakers in 1994.

--- Chetco . 5 speakers in 1962.

--- Chinook . 12 speakers of Kiksht dialect in 1996.

--- Chinook Wawa . 17 speakers in the USA in 1990.

--- Clallam . 10 speakers in 1997.

--- Coeur D'Alene . 5 speakers in 1999.

--- Coos . 1 or 2 speakers in 1962.

--- Degexit'an . 20 to 30 speakers in 1997.

--- Dena'ina (Tanaina). 75 speakers in 1997.

--- Eyak . 1 speaker in 1996.

--- Gros Ventre . 10 speakers in 1977.

--- Northern Haida . 15 speakers in the USA in 1995.

--- Han . 7 or 8 speakers in Alaska in 1995.

--- Holikachuk . 12 speakers in 1995.

--- Hupa . 8 speakers in 1998.

--- Kalapuya . 1 or 2 speakers in 1962.

--- Kansa . 19 speakers in 1990.

--- Karok . 10 speakers in 1997.

--- Kashaya . 45 speakers in 1994.

--- Kawaiisu . 8 to 10 speakers in 2000.

--- Klamath-Modoc . 1 speaker in 1998.

--- Upper Kuskokwim . 40 speakers in 1995.

--- Kutenai . 6 speakers in the USA in 2002.

--- Luiseño . 30 to 40 speakers in 2000.

--- Lushootseed . 60 speakers in 1990.

--- Northeastern Maidu . 1 to 2 speakers in 1994.

--- Northwestern Maidu . 3 to 6 speakers in 1994.

--- Mandan . 6 speakers in 1992.

--- Menominee . 39 speakers.

--- Central Sierra Miwok . 12 speakers in 1994.

--- Lake Miwok . 1 to 2 speakers in 1994.

--- Northern Sierra Miwok . 6 speakers in 1994.

--- Plains Miwok . 1 speaker in 1962.

--- Southern Sierra Miwok . 7 speakers in 1994.

--- Mono . 37 to 41 speakers in 1994.

--- Nisenan . 1 speaker in 1994.

--- Osage . 5 speakers in 1991.

--- Panamint . 20 speakers.

--- Pawnee . 20 speakers in 1997.

--- Central Pomo . 2 to 5 speakers in 1997.

--- Southeastern Pomo . 5 speakers in 1994.

--- Southern Pomo . 1 speaker in 1994.

--- Potawatomi . 50 speakers in 1995.

--- Quapaw . 34 speakers in 1990.

--- Quileute . 10 speakers in 1977.

--- Straits Salish .

--- Seneca . 150 speakers in 1998.

--- Serrano . 1 speaker in 1994.

--- Snohomish . 10 speakers in 1998.

--- Tanacross . 35 speakers in 1997.

--- Lower Tanana . 30 speakers in 1995.

--- Tolowa . 4 to 5 speakers in 1994 Hinton.

--- Texas German . Near extinction.

--- Tubatulabal . 6 speakers.

--- Tuscarora . 4 to 5 speakers in the USA in 1997.

--- Tututni . 10 speakers in 1962.

--- Wasco-Wishram . 69 speakers in 1990.

--- Washo . 10 speakers in 1998.

--- Wichita . 3 speakers in 2000.

--- Wintu . 5 or 6 speakers in 1997.

--- Yokuts . 78 speakers of Northern Foothill Yokuts in 1990.

--- Yuchi . 10 to 12 speakers in 1997.

--- Yurok . 12 speakers in 2002.

Venezuela

--- Arutani . 2 speakers in Venezuela in 2002.

--- Mapoyo . 3 speakers in 2000.

--- Pémono . 1 speaker in 2000.

--- Sapé . 5 speakers in 1977.

--- Sikiana .

--- Yabarana . 20 to 50 speakers in 1977.

ASIA

Ainu , Northern Japan , 1,000 speakers

Aramaic , Lebanon , Syria

Chukchi , North-Eastern Siberia , circa 10,400 speakers ( 2001 )

Chulym , Russia , approx. 100 fluent speakers

Ket , Krasnoyarsk Krai , Russia , the last Ieniseian Language ,

Laz , Georgia , Turkey

Manchu , Northeast China , less than 100 speakers

Languages of the Northern Indigenous Peoples Of Russia

Nuristani Languages

Macanese (Patuá, Macaista) in Macao

Kristang (Cristão) (Portuguese creole spoken in Malacca , Malaysia )

Udmurt , Udmurtia , Russia

Ulch , Russia , 1,000 speakers or fewer

Mehri , Yemen and Oman

Hobyōt , Yemen and Oman

Jibbāli , Oman

Baţħari , Oman

Ħarsūsi , Oman

Soqoţri , Socotra , Yemen

AUSTRALASIA

most Australian Aboriginal Languages

--- Yanyuwa , four speakers

Maori

Auslan - Australian Sign Language

EUROPE

European Union

--- Curonian ( Germany ). Only 8 speakers in 2004

--- Alsatian ( France ). Rapidly in decline

--- Aragonese ( Spain ). Rapidly in decline

--- Aromanian ( Greece and the Balkans ). Rapidly in decline

--- Arvanitika ( Greece ). Rapidly declining, very few elder speakers

--- Breton ( France ). Rapidly in decline

--- Cornish ( United Kingdom ). Previously extinct, attempts at revival have restored small native speakership

--- Corsican ( France ). Rapid decline

--- Griko (south Italian Greek ) ( Italy ). Rapildy in decline

--- Irish Previouisly in decline. However, it is compulsory in schools from ages 4-16 as a second language.

--- Italkian (Judeo-Italian) ( Italy ). Possibly extinct

--- Kashubian ( Pomeranian ) ( Poland ). Rapidly in decline

--- Karaim

--- Leonese ( Spain ). Rapidly in decline

--- Livonian ( Estonia and Latvia ). Approx. 35 speakers

--- Manx ( Isle Of Man ). Speakership previously dropped to only as a second language, attempts at revival have restored small native speakership

--- Molise Slavic ( Italy ). Rapidly in decline

--- Norman ( France and Channel Islands ). Rapidly in decline

--- North Frisian (Germany). In decline

--- Occitan ( France ). In decline

--- Sami Languages , ( Scandinavia ). Some have fewer than 100 speakers

--- Samogitian Language , ( Lithuania ). Rapidly in decline

--- Scottish Gaelic ( United Kingdom ). In decline

--- Seeltersk (Germany). Most speakers eldery, signs of revival

--- Tsakonian ( Greece ). Only 300 speakers

--- Lower Sorbian , ( Germany ). Rapidly in decline

--- Upper Sorbian , ( Germany ). In decline

--- West Flemish ( France , Belgium ) in decline in France, not in Belgium-->

--- Wymysojer ( Poland ). Less than 100 speakers

Outside of the European Union

--- Belarusian . Very low usage in Belarus

--- Istro-romanian , Istria Croatia . 500 speakers

--- Krimchak (Judeo-Crimean Tatar)

--- Mordvin ( Russia ). Steady decline

-- Erzya Language

-- Moksha Language

--- Votian , Russia . 50 speakers

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List Of Endangered Languages