Degree of endangerment is an evaluation assigned by UNESCO to the languages in the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. [1] Evaluation is given according to nine criteria, the most important of which is the criterion of language transmission between generations. [2]
| status | explanation | examples [1] |
|---|---|---|
| Safe | The language is used by all generations. The transmission of the language from generation to generation is not disturbed | English, Arabic, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, French and other |
| Vulnerable | The language is used by most children, but it is used with some restrictions. For example, they speak this language only at home. | Adyghe, Anal, Bashkir, Belarusian, Chuvash, Neapolitan, Yiddish and other |
| Definitely endangered | The language is not learned by children as a native | Erzya, Mari, Newar, Romani, Udmurt, Walloon and other |
| Severely endangered | The language is used by older generations and is understandable to parents, but they do not use it when communicating with children and among themselves | Breton, Ingrian, Judaeo-Spanish, Nafusi, Nanai and other |
| Language revitalization | The language is in the process of being restored | Cornish, Manchu, Manx and other |
| Critically endangered languages | Only old people know the language and it is rarely used by them | Dahalik, Duruwa, Orok, Tofa, Ulch and other |
| Extinct language | 1. There are no living native speakers in the world 2. Previously, the language definitely existed, but now there is no reliable information about its state | 1. Dalmatian, Obispeño, Gothic 2. Ancient Cappadocian, Livonian, Yukaghir |
Emilian-Romagnol is a linguistic continuum that is part of the Gallo-Italic languages spoken in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. It is divided into two main varieties, Emilian and Romagnol.
The UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger was an online publication containing a comprehensive list of the world's endangered languages. It originally replaced the Red Book of Endangered Languages as a title in print after a brief period of overlap before being transferred to an online only publication.
The Boruca language is the native language of the Boruca people of Costa Rica. Boruca belongs to the Isthmian branch of the Chibchan languages. Though exact speaker numbers are uncertain, UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger has listed Boruca as "critically endangered". It was spoken fluently by only five women in 1986, while 30 to 35 others spoke it non-fluently. The rest of the tribe's 1,000 members speak Spanish.
Orang Seletar (Slitar) is a language of the Orang Laut of the south coast of the Malay Peninsula. It is very close to Malay, and may be counted as a dialect of that language. The speaking population is unknown, but is likely in the range of a few thousand. The language is considered critically endangered by UNESCO.
Kryts (Kryc) is a Samur language of the Northeast Caucasian language family spoken in parts of the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan by 6,000 people in 1975. Its dialects are Kryts, Jek, Khaput, Yergyudzh, and Alyk, which are all quite distinct to the point of only partial mutual intelligibility, therefore they could also be considered separate languages in a dialect continuum.
The Gondi languages are a subgroup of the indigenous family that includes Gondi and related languages. Gondi proper is the most widely spoken language, with over 10 million speakers. Other languages in this subgroup include Muria, Madiya, and Koya. It is undetermined whether Pardhan is a separate language or a dialect of Gondi, although current fieldwork suggests it is a dialect. Khirwar is a poorly-attested language spoken by people in the general Gond area, and so is assumed to be related to Gondi.
The Likum language is a West Manus language spoken by approximately 80 people in western Manus Island, Manus Province of Papua New Guinea. Its speakers also use Nyindrou. Likum is classified as "definitely endangered" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. It has SVO word order.
The Kwisi are a seashore-fishing and hunter-gatherer people of southwest Angola that physically seem to be a remnant of an indigenous population—along with the Kwadi, the Cimba, and the Damara—that are unlike either the San (Bushmen) or the Bantu. Culturally they have been strongly influenced by the Kuvale, and speak the Kuvale dialect of Herero. There may, however, have been a few elderly speakers of an unattested Kwisi language in the 1960s.
Molo (Malkan) is a moribund Nilo-Saharan language spoken by a few of the Molo people of Sudan. It is considered "Critically Endangered" according to UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, with around 100 speakers, according to data from 1988.
Gurdjar (Kurtjar) is a Paman language of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. There are two dialects, Gurdjar proper (Gunggara), and Rip. Kunggara is another name for one or the other.
Kafoa, or Jafoo, is a Papuan language of Alor Island in the Alor archipelago of Indonesia. The name "Kafoa" is not recognized by speakers; it is not clear which name they use themselves. Kafoa speakers are frequently multilingual, also speaking Malay, Klon and Abui. Children are typically initially taught Malay by their parents and later acquire Kafoa after having reached school age.
Zazao is an Oceanic language spoken in the Solomon Islands. Its speakers live on Santa Isabel Island. It is classified as “critically endangered” by the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, because its speakers usually speak the Cheke Holo language or the Zabana language.
Zire (Sîshëë), also known as Nerë, is an extinct Oceanic language of New Caledonia. It has been extinct since April 2006. Zire is sometimes considered a dialect of Ajië.
Fwâi (Poai) is a Kanak language of New Caledonia, spoken in the commune of Hienghène. In 2009, there were around 1,900 speakers of Fwâi. It’s considered a vulnerable language by the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.
The Yaw dialect of Burmese is spoken by 200,000 people near the Chin Hills in Magway Division, particularly in Gangaw District, which comprises Saw, Htilin, and Gangaw. Yaw was classified as a "definitely endangered" language in UNESCO's 2010 Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.
Chigmecatitlán Mixtec is a Mixtec language of Puebla, Mexico, spoken in the municipalities of Chigmecatitlán and Acatlán de Osorio. This language is also known as Central Puebla Mixtec, Chigmecatitlán Mixtec, Mixteco de la Frontera Puebla-Oaxaca, and Mixteco de Santa María Chigmecatitlán.
Kivalliq, also known as Kivallirmiutut, Caribou Eskimo, or formerly as Keewatin, is a dialect of Eastern Canadian Inuktitut which is spoken along the northwestern shores of Hudson Bay in Nunavut.
The Southern Ryukyuan languages form one of two branches of the Ryukyuan languages. They are spoken on the Sakishima Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The three languages are Miyako and Yaeyama and Yonaguni. The Macro-Yaeyama languages have been identified as "critically endangered" by UNESCO and Miyako as "definitely endangered".
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