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.
UNESCO distinguishes four levels of endangerment in languages, based on intergenerational transfer:
-
Vulnerable: Most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains (e.g., home). Definitely endangered: Children no longer learn the language as mother tongue in the home. Severely endangered: Language is spoken by grandparents and older generations; while the parent generation may understand it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves. Critically endangered: The youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently.
| Language | Countries | Speakers | Status | Ethnologue (ISO 639-3) |
Comments | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abkhaz language | Georgia, Russian Federation, Turkey | 0 !Vulnerable | abk | |||
| Alemannic German | Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland | 0 !Vulnerable | gsw swg wae |
|||
| Algherese dialect | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | cat | Catalan | ||
| Alpine Provençal, Vivaro-Alpine dialect | France, Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | oci | Alpine Provençal | ||
| Aragonese language | Spain | 1 !Definitely endangered | arg | |||
| Arbanasi language | Croatia | 2 !Severely endangered | none | Dialect of Gheg Albanian | ||
| Arbëresh language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | aae | Dialect of Albanian | ||
| Aromanian language | Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania | 1 !Definitely endangered | rup | |||
| Arvanitika language | Greece | 2 !Severely endangered | aat | Dialect of Albanian | ||
| Leonese language | Spain, Portugal | 1 !Definitely endangered | ast ext mwl |
Asturian language Extremaduran language Mirandese language |
||
| Auvergnat dialect | France | 2 !Severely endangered | oci | |||
| Banat Bulgarian language | Romania, Serbia | 1 !Definitely endangered | bul | |||
| Basque language | Spain, France | 0 !Vulnerable | eus | |||
| Bats language | Georgia | 2 !Severely endangered | bbl | |||
| Bavarian language | Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic | 0 !Vulnerable | bar | |||
| Belarusian language | Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russian Federation, Ukraine | 0 !Vulnerable | bel | |||
| Bohtan Neo-Aramaic | Georgia, Russian Federation | 2 !Severely endangered | bhn | |||
| Breton language | France | 2 !Severely endangered | bre | |||
| Budukh language | Azerbaijan | 2 !Severely endangered | bdk | |||
| Burgenland Croatian | Austria, Hungary, Slovakia | 1 !Definitely endangered | bos hrv srp |
|||
| Burgundian language | France | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | |||
| Campidanese Sardinian | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | sro | Macro-dialect of the Sardinian language | ||
| Cappadocian Greek language, Cappadocian Greek | Greece | 3 !Critically endangered | cpg | |||
| Champenois dialect | Belgium, France | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | |||
| Cimbrian language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | cim | |||
| Judeo-Italian languages | Greece | 200 | 3 !Critically endangered | itk | Corfiot Italkian | |
| Cornish language | United Kingdom | 3 !Critically endangered | cor | |||
| Corsican language | France, Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | cos | |||
| Crimean Tatar language (Crimea) | Ukraine | 2 !Severely endangered | crh jct |
|||
| Crimean Tatar language (Dobruja) | Bulgaria, Romania | 2 !Severely endangered | crh jct |
|||
| Crimean Tatar language | Ukraine | 2 !Severely endangered | none | Crimean Turkish language | ||
| Csángó dialect | Romania | 2 !Severely endangered | hun | Csángó Hungarian, Csango; dialect of Hungarian | ||
| Cypriot Maronite Arabic | Cyprus | 2 !Severely endangered | acy | |||
| Dalecarlian dialects | Sweden | 1 !Definitely endangered | swe | |||
| East Franconian German | Germany, Czech Republic | 0 !Vulnerable | vmf | |||
| Tunumiit language | Greenland | 1 !Definitely endangered | kal | Tunumiit oraasiat, known as Tunumiisut in Greenlandic and also as East Greenlandic in English. | ||
| Slovak language (Eastern Slovak) | Slovakia, Ukraine | 0 !Vulnerable | slk | |||
| Emilian-Romagnolo | Italy, San Marino | 1 !Definitely endangered | eml | |||
| Faetar dialect | Italy | 70 | 1 !Definitely endangered | frp | Franco-Provençal language | |
| Faroese language | Faroe Islands | 0 !Vulnerable | fao | |||
| Franc-Comtois language | France, Switzerland | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | |||
| Franco-Provençal language | France, Italy, Switzerland | 1 !Definitely endangered | frp | Francoprovençal, Arpitan, Romand | ||
| Friulan language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | fur | Friulian | ||
| Gagauz language (Bessarabia) | Moldova, Ukraine | 1 !Definitely endangered | bgx gag |
|||
| Gagauz language (Deli Orman) | Bulgaria | 3 !Critically endangered | bgx gag |
|||
| Gagauz language (Maritime) | Bulgaria, Romania | 2 !Severely endangered | bgx gag |
|||
| Gagauz language (South Balkans) | Greece, Macedonia, Turkey | 2 !Severely endangered | bgx gag |
|||
| Gallo language | France | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | |||
| Gallo-Italic of Sicily | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | lmo | Gallo-Sicilian | ||
| Gallurese language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | sdn | |||
| Gardiol dialect, Gardiol | Italy | 2 !Severely endangered | none | Vivaro-Alpine dialect | ||
| Gascon language, Gascon | Spain, France | 1 !Definitely endangered | oci | |||
| Gottscheerish | Slovenia | 3 !Critically endangered | none | Granish | ||
| Griko language (Calabria) | Italy | 2 !Severely endangered | ell | |||
| Griko language (Salento) | Italy | 2 !Severely endangered | ell | |||
| Guernésiais | United Kingdom | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | Also known as Dgèrnésiais, Guernsey French, and Guernsey Norman French | ||
| Modern Gutnish | Sweden | 5,000 | 1 !Definitely endangered | swe | ||
| Hértevin language | Turkey | 3 !Critically endangered | hrt | |||
| Homshetsi dialect (Caucasus) | Georgia, Russian Federation | 2 !Severely endangered | hye | Homshetsma | ||
| Homshetsi dialect (Turkey) | Turkey | 1 !Definitely endangered | hye | Homshetsma | ||
| Inari Saami language | Finland | 300 (all of them elders, with the exception of 6) | 2 !Severely endangered | smn | ||
| Irish language | Ireland, United Kingdom | 83,000 | 1 !Definitely endangered | gle | ||
| Istriot language | Croatia | 2 !Severely endangered | ist | |||
| Istro-Romanian language | Croatia | ~137 (2001) - 1000 | 2 !Severely endangered | ruo | ||
| Jèrriais | United Kingdom | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | Jersey French | ||
| Judaeo-Spanish (Europe) | Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Morocco, Romania, Turkey, Serbia | 2 !Severely endangered | lad | Judezmo | ||
| Juhuri language (Caucasus) | Azerbaijan, Russian Federation | 1 !Definitely endangered | jdt | Judeo-Tat, Juhur | ||
| Karaim language (Lithuania) | Crimea, Lithuania, | 100 (2005) 50 in Lithuania. | 2 !Severely endangered | kdr | ||
| Karaim language (Western Ukraine) | Ukraine | 3 !Critically endangered | kdr | |||
| Karelian language (Karelia) | Finland, Russian Federation | 1 !Definitely endangered | krl | |||
| Kashubian language | Poland | 53,000 (2002) | 2 !Severely endangered | csb | Cassubian | Polish 2002 Census |
| Khinalug language | Azerbaijan | 2 !Severely endangered | kjj | |||
| Kryts language | Azerbaijan | 2 !Severely endangered | kry | Kryz | ||
| Ladin language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | lld | |||
| Languedocien dialect | France | 2 !Severely endangered | oci | Languedocian | ||
| Latgalian language | Latvia, Russian Federation | 0 !Vulnerable | lav | |||
| Laz language | Georgia, Turkey | 1 !Definitely endangered | lzz | |||
| Lezgian language | Azerbaijan, Russian Federation | 0 !Vulnerable | lez | |||
| Ligurian | France, Italy, Monaco | 1 !Definitely endangered | lij | |||
| Limburgian-Ripuarian language, Limburgian-Ripuarian | Germany, Belgium, Netherlands | 0 !Vulnerable | ksh lim |
Kölsch language, Limburgish language | ||
| Limousin dialect, Limousin | France | 2 !Severely endangered | oci | |||
| Livonian language, Livonian | Latvia | 3 !Critically endangered | liv | |||
| Logudorese Sardinian | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | src | Macro-dialect of the Sardinian language | ||
| Lombard language, Lombard | Italy, Switzerland | 1 !Definitely endangered | lmo | |||
| Lorrain dialect, Lorrain | Belgium, France | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | |||
| West Low German | Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation | 0 !Vulnerable | act drt frs gos nds sdz stl twd vel wep |
Low Saxon | ||
| Lule Saami language | Norway, Sweden | 2 !Severely endangered | smj | |||
| Manx language, Manx | United Kingdom | 3 !Critically endangered | glv | |||
| Mariupolitan Greek language, Mariupolitan Greek | Ukraine | 2 !Severely endangered | ell | |||
| Megleno-Romanian language | Greece, Macedonia | 2 !Severely endangered | ruq | |||
| Mingrelian language | Georgia | 1 !Definitely endangered | xmf | Megrelian | ||
| Mócheno language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | mhn | Mócheno language | ||
| Molise Croatian dialect | Italy | 2 !Severely endangered | bos hrv srp |
|||
| Moselle Franconian dialects | Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg | 0 !Vulnerable | ltz | |||
| Nogay language (Crimea) | Ukraine | 2 !Severely endangered | nog | |||
| Nogay language(Dobruja) | Romania | 2 !Severely endangered | nog | |||
| Norman language, Norman | France | 2 !Severely endangered | nrn | |||
| North Frisian language | Germany | 10,000 (2001) | 2 !Severely endangered | frr | ||
| Inuktun language, North Greenlandic | Greenland | 1 !Definitely endangered | ike | North Greenlandic | ||
| North Saami language | Finland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden | 1 !Definitely endangered | sme | |||
| Livvi-Karelian language | Finland, Russian Federation | 1 !Definitely endangered | olo | Olonetsian | ||
| Ossetic language, Ossete | Georgia, Russian Federation | 0 !Vulnerable | oss | Ossete | ||
| Picard language | Belgium, France | 2 !Severely endangered | pcd | |||
| Piedmontese language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | pms | |||
| Pite Saami language, Pite Saami | Norway, Sweden | 20 in Sweden (2000 T. Salminen) 2,000 in Sweden (1995 M Krauss) | 3 !Critically endangered | sje | ||
| Plautdietsch language, Plautdietsch | Ukraine | 1 !Definitely endangered | pdt | |||
| Poitevin-Saintongeais | France | 2 !Severely endangered | fra | |||
| Polesian language, Polesian | Belarus, Poland, Ukraine | 0 !Vulnerable | none | |||
| Pontic Greek | Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine | 1 !Definitely endangered | pnt | |||
| Provençal dialect | France | 2 !Severely endangered | oci | |||
| Resian dialect | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | slv | |||
| Palatinate German | Germany, France | 0 !Vulnerable | pfl | Pfaelzisch, Rhenish Franconian dialects | ||
| Romani language, Romani | Albania, Germany, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro | 1 !Definitely endangered | rmc rmf rml rmn rmo rmw rmy |
Romany, Gypsy, Gipsy | ||
| Romansh language | Switzerland | 1 !Definitely endangered | roh | |||
| Rusyn language | Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine | 0 !Vulnerable | rue | |||
| Rutul language | Azerbaijan, Russian Federation | 1 !Definitely endangered | rut | |||
| Samogitian language | Lithuania, Russian Federation, Poland, Latvia | 1 !Definitely endangered | sgs | |||
| Sassarese language | Italy | 1 !Definitely endangered | sdc | |||
| Saterland Frisian language | Germany | 5,000 (2001) | 2 !Severely endangered | stq | ||
| Scanian dialects | Denmark, Sweden | 0 !Vulnerable | swe | |||
| Scots language | United Kingdom | 0 !Vulnerable | sco | |||
| Scottish Gaelic | United Kingdom | 58,552 | 1 !Definitely endangered | gla | ||
| Sicilian language, Sicilian | Italy | 0 !Vulnerable | scn | Siculu or Calabro-Sicilian | ||
| Skolt Saami language | Finland, Norway, Russian Federation | 2 !Severely endangered | sms | |||
| Sorbian languages | Germany | 1 !Definitely endangered | dsb hsb |
|||
| Southern Italian | Italy | 0 !Vulnerable | nap | South Italian, Napoletano-Calabrese | ||
| South Jutlandic | Germany, Denmark | 1 !Definitely endangered | jut | South Jutish | ||
| Southern Sami language | Norway, Sweden | 2 !Severely endangered | sma | South Saami | ||
| Neo-Aramaic languages | Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey | 1 !Definitely endangered | aii cld |
Suret | ||
| Svan language | Georgia | 1 !Definitely endangered | sva | |||
| Talysh language | Azerbaijan, Iran | 0 !Vulnerable | tly | |||
| Tat language (Caucasus) | Azerbaijan | 2 !Severely endangered | ttt | |||
| Walser German | Italy | 2 !Severely endangered | gsw swg wae |
Töitschu | ||
| Torlakian dialect | Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia | 0 !Vulnerable | bos hrv srp |
|||
| Transylvanian Saxon dialect | Romania | 2 !Severely endangered | none | |||
| Tsakhur language, Tsakhur | Azerbaijan, Russian Federation | 1 !Definitely endangered | tkr | |||
| Tsakonian language, Tsakonian | Greece | 3 !Critically endangered | tsd | |||
| Udi language (Azerbaijan) | Azerbaijan | 2 !Severely endangered | udi | |||
| Udi language (Georgia) | Georgia | 2 !Severely endangered | udi | |||
| Ume Saami language | Sweden | 20 (2000 T Salminen) 1,000 (1995 M Krauss) | 3 !Critically endangered | sju | ||
| Urum language, Urum | Georgia, Russian Federation, Ukraine | 1 !Definitely endangered | uum | |||
| Venetian language | Italy, Croatia, Slovenia | 0 !Vulnerable | vec | Venetan | ||
| Vilamovian language | Poland | 70 | 2 !Severely endangered | wym | Wilamowicean | |
| Pannonian Rusyn language | Croatia, Serbia | 1 !Definitely endangered | none | Vojvodina Rusyn | ||
| Võro-Seto dialect | Estonia, Russian Federation | 1 !Definitely endangered | est | Vôru (Werro), Seto (Setu); dialect of Estonian language | ||
| Walloon language | Belgium, France, Luxembourg | 1 !Definitely endangered | wln | |||
| Welsh language | United Kingdom | 0 !Vulnerable | cym | |||
| West Flemish | Belgium, France, Netherlands | 0 !Vulnerable | vls zea |
|||
| West Frisian language | Netherlands | 0 !Vulnerable | fry | |||
| Greenlandic language | Greenland | 0 !Vulnerable | kal | West Greenlandic | ||
| Western Armenian language (Turkey) | Turkey | 1 !Definitely endangered | hye | |||
| Yiddish language (Europe) | Germany, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ukraine | 1 !Definitely endangered | ydd | |||
| Zazaki language | Turkey | 0 !Vulnerable | zza |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list, endangered, languages and/or europe:
“Religious literature has eminent examples, and if we run over our private list of poets, critics, philanthropists and philosophers, we shall find them infected with this dropsy and elephantiasis, which we ought to have tapped.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“My list of things I never pictured myself saying when I pictured myself as a parent has grown over the years.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)
“Government ... thought [it] could transform the country through massive national programs, but often the programs did not work. Too often they only made things worse. In our rush to accomplish great deeds quickly, we trampled on sound principles of restraint and endangered the rights of individuals.”
—Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)
“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)
“The people of Western Europe are facing this summer a series of tragic dilemmas. Of the hopes that dazzled the last twenty years that some political movement might tend to the betterment of the human lot, little remains above ground but the tattered slogans of the past.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)