An endangered language is a language that it 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.
The Unesco red book of endangered languages distinguishes:
- endangered languages with some children speakers at least in part of their range but decreasingly so;
- seriously endangered languages with a more substantial number of speakers but practically without children among them;
- nearly extinct languages with maximally tens of speakers, all elderly;
SIL Ethnologue lists 12 "nearly extinct" languages of Europe, four of them Saami languages. The Unesco red book of endangered languages lists nine as "nearly extinct", 26 as "seriously endangered" and 38 as "endangered".
| Language |
Status |
Spoken in |
Speakers |
Source |
ISO 639-3 |
Ethnologue entry |
| Istro-Romanian language |
seriously endangered |
Croatia |
~137 (2001) - 1000 |
|
ruo |
Istro-Romanian language |
| Liv language |
nearly extinct |
Latvia |
15 to 20 (1995 V Zeps). |
Ethnologue |
liv |
Liv language |
| North Frisian language |
seriously endangered |
Germany |
10,000 (2001) |
|
frr |
Northen Frisian |
| Saterland Frisian language |
seriously endangered |
Germany |
5,000 (2001) |
|
stq |
Saterfriesisch language |
| Romano-Greek language |
nearly extinct |
Greece |
30 (2000). |
Ethnologue |
rge |
Romano-Greek language |
| Judeo-Italian language |
nearly extinct |
Italy |
200 |
|
itk |
Judeo-Italian language |
| Karaim language |
nearly extinct |
Crimea, Lithuania |
3 (2000) 5,000 in Lithuania. |
Ethnologue |
|
Karaim language |
| Kashubian language |
seriously endangered |
Poland |
3,000 (1993) |
Ethnologue |
csb |
Kashubian language |
| Lower Silesian language |
nearly extinct |
Germany, Poland, Czech Republic |
|
Ethnologue |
sli |
Silesian, Lower language |
| Ter Sami language |
nearly extinct |
Russia |
6 (1995 M Krauss) 400 population (2000 Salminen). |
Ethnologue |
|
Saami, Ter language |
| Vod language |
nearly extinct |
Russia |
25 (1979 Valt) 200 (1990 A E Kibrik). |
Ethnologue |
|
Vod language |
| Leonese Language |
seriously endangered |
Spain, Portugal |
50,000 (10,000 in Portugal 1999, Salminen) |
Unesco red book of endangered languages [1] |
|
|
| Aragonese language |
endangered |
Spain |
30,000 |
Unesco red book of endangered languages [2] |
arg |
Aragonese language |
| Pite Sami language |
nearly extinct |
Sweden, Norway |
20 in Sweden (2000 T. Salminen) 2,000 in Sweden (1995 M Krauss) |
Ethnologue |
sje |
Saami, Pite language |
| Ume Sami language |
nearly extinct |
Sweden |
20 (2000 T Salminen) 1,000 (1995 M Krauss) |
Ethnologue |
sju |
Saami, Ume language |
| Walloon language |
endangered |
Belgium |
600,000 |
Ethnologue |
wln |
Walloon language |
| Francoprovençal language |
endangered |
Italy, France, Switzerland |
113,400 |
Ethnologue |
wln |
Francoprovençal language |
| Inari Sami language |
nearly extinct |
Finland |
300 (all of them elders, with the exception of 6) |
Ethnologue |
sje |
Inari language |
See also
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