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6 Endangered Languages Fading From the World

Tap a language to see its region and story.

Ainu

Region: Hokkaido, Japan. The indigenous language of the Ainu people, now spoken fluently by only a handful of people, and classified by UNESCO as "critically endangered."

Manx

Region: Isle of Man, United Kingdom. Once declared extinct after its last native speaker died in 2009, but a revival movement has since brought a growing number of new speakers back to the language.

Cornish

Region: Cornwall, England. Its last native speakers died out in the late 18th century, but a 20th-century revival movement brought the language back, and people are learning it again today.

Ket

Region: Siberia, Russia. A language isolate with only a handful of speakers left worldwide, with almost no established relationship to any other known language family.

Some SΓ‘mi dialects

Region: Northern Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia). Several dialects among the SΓ‘mi peoples' languages have only a few remaining speakers and are severely endangered.

Yaghan

Region: Southern Chile (Tierra del Fuego). The indigenous language of the southernmost peoples of South America, effectively extinct since its last native speaker passed away in 2022.

What it means for a language to disappear

According to UNESCO, a significant share of the world's languages are at risk of disappearing within this century. Losing a language means more than losing a means of communication β€” it means losing the distinct worldview, culture, and knowledge system carried within it.

Curious about world languages more broadly

If you're curious which languages are spoken by the most people around the world, a broader guide to world languages is worth a look too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an extinct language ever come back?

Yes β€” languages like Manx and Cornish show that even after the last native speaker is gone, dedicated records and revival movements can bring a language back to life with new generations of speakers.

What are the main reasons languages go extinct?

Education centered on a single dominant language, migration and urbanization, and a break in the generational transmission of a language are commonly cited as the main causes.