Language that no longer has any first-language or second-language speakers
For the process of language extinction, see Language death.
"Dead language" redirects here. For the album by The Flatliners, see Dead Language (album).
Eteocypriot writing, Amathous, Cyprus, 500–300 BC, Ashmolean Museum
An extinct language is a language that no longer has any first-language or second-language speakers,[1] especially if the language also has no living descendants.[2] In contrast, a dead language is a language that no longer has any first-language speakers, but does have second-language speakers, such as Latin.[3] A dormant language is a dead language that still serves as a symbol of ethnic identity to an ethnic group; these languages are often undergoing a process of revitalisation.[4] Languages that have first-language speakers are known as modern or living languages to contrast them with dead languages, especially in educational contexts.
In the modern period, languages have typically become extinct as a result of the process of cultural assimilation leading to language shift, and the gradual abandonment of a native language in favor of a foreign lingua franca, largely those of European countries.[5][6][7]
As of the 2000s, a total of roughly 7,000 natively spoken languages existed worldwide. Most of these are minor languages in danger of extinction; one estimate published in 2004 expected that some 90% of the currently spoken languages will have become extinct by 2050.[8]
^Lenore A. Grenoble, Lindsay J. Whaley, Saving Languages: An Introduction to Language Revitalization, Cambridge University Press (2006) p.18
^Foltz, Anouschka (10 December 2015). "How Languages Die". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^Matthews, P. H. (1 January 2007), "dead language", The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780199202720.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-920272-0, retrieved 14 November 2021
^"What is the difference between a dormant language and an extinct language?". www.ethnologue.com. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^Byram, Michael; Hu, Adelheid (26 June 2013). Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning. Routledge. ISBN 978-1136235535.
^Walt, Christa Van der (1 May 2007). Living Through Languages: An African Tribute to René Dirven. AFRICAN SUN MeDIA. ISBN 9781920109707.
^Hall, Christopher J.; Smith, Patrick H.; Wicaksono, Rachel (11 May 2015). Mapping Applied Linguistics: A Guide for Students and Practitioners. Routledge. ISBN 978-1136836237.
^"Study by language researcher, David Graddol". NBC News. 26 February 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
Ian on Friday, January 16, 2009 61 comments (16 January 2009). "Research by Southwest University for Nationalities College of Liberal Arts". Chinasmack.com. Retrieved 22 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link).
Ethnologue records 7,358 living languages known,"Ethnologue". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 5 October 2001. Retrieved 22 March 2012. but on 2015-05-20, Ethnologue reported only 7,102 known living languages; and on 2015-02-23, Ethnologue already reported only 7,097 known living languages.
An extinctlanguage is a language that no longer has any first-language or second-language speakers, especially if the language also has no living descendants...
lists of extinctlanguages. List of extinctlanguages of Africa List of extinctlanguages of Asia List of extinctlanguages of Europe List of extinct languages...
currently exist and five others (today extinct) existed in different regions. The vernacular Indigenous American languages (native to the Argentine territory)...
extinctlanguages of Asia, languages which have undergone language death, have no native speakers, and no spoken descendant. There are 137 languages listed...
extinctlanguages of Africa, languages which have undergone language death, have no native speakers and no spoken descendant. There are 49 languages listed;...
Breton, Cornish, and the extinctlanguage known as Cumbric. Welsh is thus a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages, and is spoken natively...
This is a list of extinctlanguages of North America, languages which have undergone language death, have no native speakers and no spoken descendant...
Consciously devised language Endangered language – Language that is at risk of going extinct Ethnologue#Language families Extinctlanguage – Language that no longer...
language in Europe. Europe portal Language portal Lists of extinctlanguages List of endangered languages in Europe "Aequian - MultiTree". LINGUIST List. Archived...
including by second-language speakers, when it becomes known as an extinctlanguage. A related term is linguicide, the death of a language from natural or...
children with no language were placed together and developed a new language. Caution is required when speaking of extinctlanguages as language isolates. Despite...
Arawakan languages that are extinct and poorly documented. However, apart from transparent relationships that might constitute single languages, several...
an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community groups, or governments. Some argue for a distinction between language revival...
the language has no more native speakers and becomes a "dead language". If no one can speak the language at all, it becomes an "extinctlanguage". A dead...
dying. There are also three languages that recently became extinct. Most languages spoken locally belong to two broad language families: Niger-Congo (Bantu...
as an official language Number of languages by country World languageLanguages used on the Internet Extinctlanguage Official languages of the United...
Albanian is grouped in the same IE branch with Messapic, an ancient extinctlanguage of Balkan provenance that is preserved in about six hundred inscriptions...
access to education in their native languages. Additionally, Nicaragua has four extinct indigenous languages. Languages of Nicaragua Source: Ethnologue Spanish...
Colima - extinctlanguage once spoken on the Iscuandé River and Patia River, Nariño department, Colombia. (Unattested.) Pius - extinctlanguage once spoken...
An extinctlanguage may be narrowly defined as a language with no native speakers and no descendant languages. Under this definition, a language becomes...
Vasconic languages (from Latin vasco 'Basque') are a putative family of languages that includes Basque and the extinct Aquitanian language. The extinct Iberian...
the makúes languages. Timote-Cuica languages at the start of the Conquest The Jirajarana family or Jirajirana is a group of extinctlanguages spoken in...
Guanche is an extinctlanguage that was spoken by the Guanches of the Canary Islands until the 16th or 17th century. It died out after the conquest of...
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