Global InformationList of endangered languages in Canada information
| Language Endangerment Status by UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger category | |
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| Extinct (EX) | |
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| Endangered | |
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| Safe | |
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Other categories | |
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Related topics
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 UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger categories | |
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language. UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct":[1] There are primarily eight languages that were spoken in Canada around 2010.
- Vulnerable
- Definitely endangered
- Severely endangered
- Critically endangered
| Language | Users | Status | Comments | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin language/Anishinàbemiwin [1] | Vulnerable | There are several dialects of the Algonquin language, generally grouped broadly as Northern Algonquin and Western Algonquin. | ||
| Aivilingmiutut language/Aivilik[1] | Vulnerable | Inuktitut or Inuvialuktun dialect. | ||
| Assiniboine language (Canada)[1] | 150 | Critically endangered | Also in the United States. | |
| Atikamekw language[1] | 6,165 | Vulnerable | Divergent R-dialect of Western Cree. Closely related to Eastern Cree and Innu. | |
| Blackfoot language/Siksiká (Canada)[1] | 4,915 | Definitely endangered | Southern Alberta, CA and Northern Montana, USA.[2] | |
| Bungee language[1] | 0–500 | Critically endangered | Possibly extinct. Cree-Ojibwe-Scots-Gaelic creole language. | |
| Cayuga language (Canada)[1] | 61 | Critically endangered | Split into 2 distinct groups, in Ontario and New York. | |
| Central Ojibwe language[1] | 8,000 | Vulnerable | ||
| Chilcotin language/Tsilhqotʹin[1] | 860 | Severely endangered | ||
| Chipewyan language/Dene/Dënesųłiné[1] | 11,325 | Vulnerable | Athapaskan language in Canadian Subarctic.[3] Not to be confused with Chippewa (Ojibwe). | |
| Comox-Sliammon language/ʔayajuθəm[1] | 47 | Critically endangered | Mainland and Island dialects. Island dialect is extinct. | |
| Dakota language (Canada)[1] | 290 | Critically endangered | Also in the United States. | |
| Dane-zaa language/Beaver [1] | 220 | Definitely endangered | ||
| Dogrib language/Tłı̨chǫ [1] | 1,735 | Definitely Endangered | ||
| Eastern Cree language/James Bay Cree[1] | 13,000 | Vulnerable | Divided into 4 dialects. | |
| Eastern Ojibwe language/Ojibwa[1] | Severely endangered | |||
| Gitxsan language[1] | 1,020 | Severely endangered | ||
| Gwich'in language (Canada)[1] | 560 | Severely endangered | Also spoken in Alaska. | |
| Haisla language[1] | 240 | Critically endangered | ||
| Halkomelem language/Hul'qumi'num (Canada)[1] | 100-260 | Severely endangered | Three distinct Dialects. Also in the United States. | |
| Han language (Canada)[1] | 20 | Critically endangered | Also in Alaska. | |
| Heiltsuk language/Bella Bella[1] | 60 | Critically endangered | ||
| Innu language/Eastern Montagnais[1] | 10,075 | Vulnerable | ||
| Inuinnaqtun language[1] | 1,310 | Definitely endangered | Dialect of Inuvialuktun or Inuktitut. | |
| Inuiuuk[4] | 47 | Critically endangered | Also known as Inuit Sign Language or Inuit Uukturausingit (IUR). | |
| Inupiaq language/Alaskan Inuit (Canada)[1] | 2,144 | Severely endangered | Also in Alaska. | |
| Kaska language[1] | 240 | Severely endangered | British Columbia and Yukon | |
| Kivallirmiutut language/Kivalliq[1] | Vulnerable | Inuktitut or Inuvialuktun dialect. | ||
| Kutenai language[1] | 345 | Severely endangered | Also use Ktunaxa Sign Language. Also in the United States. | |
| Kwak'wala language[1] | 450 | Critically endangered | 4-5 distinct dialects. Also in the United States. | |
| Lakota language (Canada)[1] | Critically endangered | 2,100 speakers in the United States. | ||
| Lillooet language/St̓át̓imcets[1] | 315 | Severely endangered | ||
| Malecite-Passamaquoddy language (Canada)[1] | 355 | Definitely endangered | Composed of 2 dialects. Also in the United States. | |
| Maritime Sign Language | Critically endangered | |||
| Maniwaki Algonquin language/Southern Anishinàbemiwin[1] | 3,330[5] | Severely endangered | Speakers at Maniwaki consider their language to be Southern Algonquin, though linguistically it is a dialect of Nipissing Ojibwa. | |
| Michif language[1] | 730 | Critically endangered | Cree-French creole language. Also in the United States. | |
| Mi'kmaq language/Migmaw(Canada)[1] | 7,140 | Vulnerable | Also in the United States. | |
| Mohawk language/Kanienʼkéha (Canada)[1] | 3,875 | Definitely endangered | Also in the United States. | |
| Moose Cree language/Ililîmowin[1] | 3,000 | Vulnerable | L-dialect of Western Cree. | |
| Munsee language/Munsee Lenape/Ontario Delaware (Canada)[1] | 2 | Critically endangered | Unami language in the United States . | |
| Naskapi language/Iyuw Iyimuun[1] | 1,230 | Vulnerable | Eastern Cree dialect that shares features with Innu. | |
| Natsilingmiutut/Netsilik[1] | Vulnerable | Dialect of Inuvialuktun. | ||
| Nisga'a language[1] | 470-1,500 | Severely endangered | Nisga'a is very closely related to Gitxsan. | |
| Nootka language/Nuu-chah-nulth[1] https://nuuchahnulth.org/ | 130 | Severely endangered | https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nuu-chah-nulth , http://www.hesquiahtlanguage.org/ | |
| North Slavey language[1] | 800 | Definitely endangered | ||
| Northern Haida language[1] | Critically endangered | Divided into 2 dialects. Also in the United States. | ||
| Northern Tutchone language[1] | Definitely endangered | |||
| Northwestern Ojibwe language[1] | Vulnerable | |||
| Inuttitut/Nunatsiavummiutut/Nunatsiavut [1] | Vulnerable | Inuktitut dialect. | ||
| Nuxalk language/Bella Coola[1] | 17 | Critically endangered | ||
| Oji-Cree language/Severn Ojibwa[1] | 13,630 | Vulnerable | ||
| Okanagan language[1] | Definitely endangered | 5 dialects. Also in the United States. | ||
| Oneida language (Canada)[1] | 47 | Critically endangered | Ontario, CA and Wisconsin, USA.[2] | |
| Onondaga language (Canada)[1] | 50 | Critically endangered | Also in the United States. | |
| Odawa language (Canada)[1] | 360 | Severely endangered | Also in the United States. | |
| Plains Cree language[1] | 34,000 | Vulnerable | Y-dialect of Western Cree. | |
| Plains Sign Talk | Critically Endangered | |||
| Potawatomi language (Canada)[1] | Critically endangered | Also in the United States. | ||
| Qikiqtaaluk nigiani language/South Baffin dialect[1] | Vulnerable | Inuktitut dialect. | ||
| Qikiqtaaluk uannangani language/North Baffin dialect[1] | Vulnerable | Inuktitut dialect. | ||
| Rigolet Inuktitut language[1] | 0-3 | Critically endangered | Inuktitut/Nunatsiavut/Inttitut dialect. | |
| Sarcee language/Tsuutʼina[1] | 150 | Critically endangered | ||
| Saulteaux language/Nakawēmowin [1] | 10,000 | Vulnerable | Also known as Western or Plains Ojibwe. | |
| Sechelt language[1] | 7 | Critically endangered | ||
| Sekani language[1] | 200 | Critically endangered | ||
| Seneca language (Canada)[1] | Critically endangered | Also in the United States. | ||
| Shuswap language/Secwepemctsín[1] | 200-1,190 | Definitely endangered | Divided into 2 dialects. | |
| Siglit dialect[1] | Severely endangered | Inuvialuktun dialect. | ||
| South Slavey language[1] | 1,000 | Definitely endangered | ||
| Southern Haida language[1] | Critically endangered | Divided into 2 dialects: Skidegate and Ninstints(extinct). Also in Alaska. | ||
| Southern Tutchone language[1] | Critically endangered | |||
| Squamish language/Sḵwx̱wú7mesh[1] | 450 | Critically endangered | 1 native speaker left, 449 L2 learners. | |
| Stoney language/Nakota/Nakoda[1] | 3,200 | Vulnerable | ||
| North Straits Salish language[1] | 105 | Severely endangered | Also in the United States. Divided into 6 dialects. | |
| Swampy Cree language/Maskekon/Omaškêkowak[1] | 1,805 | Vulnerable | N-dialect of Western Cree. | |
| Tahltan language[1] | 45 | Critically endangered | ||
| Thompson language/Nlaka'pamuctsin [1] | 130 | Severely endangered | ||
| Tlingit language (Canada)[1] | 120 | Critically endangered | Also in the United States. | |
| Coast Tsimshian language/Sm'álgyax [1] | Critically endangered | Also in Alaska. | ||
| Upper Tanana language/Nabesna (Canada)[1] | Critically endangered | Also in Alaska. | ||
| Western Abenaki language/Wôbanakiôdwawôgan (Canada)[1] | 14 | Critically endangered | Divided into 5 dialects. East Abenaki is extinct. Also in the United States. | |
| Woods Cree language/Bush Cree[1] | 20,000 | Vulnerable | TH-dialect of Western Cree. Merged with Rock Cree. |
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. Memory of Peoples (3rd ed.). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. ISBN 978-92-3-104096-2. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Rice, Sally; Libben, Gary; Derwing, Bruce (April 2002). "Morphological Representation in an Endangered, Polysynthetic Language". Brain and Language. 81 (1–3): 473–486. doi:10.1006/brln.2001.2540. PMID 12081415. S2CID 1823874.
- ^ "Cataloguing Endangered Sign Languages". UNESCO.
- ^ "Figure 4.5. Aboriginal identity population by both sexes, total - age, % change (from 2006 to 2016) - 2016 Canadian Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved March 5, 2023.