List of endangered languages in Africa
Encyclopedia
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
.
Africa
is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent
. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth
's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With about 922 million people (as of 2005) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.2% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea
to the north, the Suez Canal
and the Red Sea
to the northeast, the Indian Ocean
to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean
to the west. There are 53 countries, including Madagascar
and all the island groups.
Botswana
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Mauritania
Namibia
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Tanzania
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
is a language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
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
Extinct language
An extinct language is a language that no longer has any speakers., or that is no longer in current use. Extinct languages are sometimes contrasted with dead languages, which are still known and used in special contexts in written form, but not as ordinary spoken languages for everyday communication...
.
Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With about 922 million people (as of 2005) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.2% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
to the north, the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
to the northeast, the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the west. There are 53 countries, including Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and all the island groups.
BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ǂHõã language | 200 | Ethnologue | huc | ||
| Tsoa language Tsoa language Tsoa or Tshwa, also known as Kua and Hiechware, is a Khoe language spoken by about 9300 speakers in Botswana and Zimbabwe .-Dialects:Tsoa–Kua is a dialect cluster.... |
Also: Sarwa language | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
hio | ||
CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldemu language Baldemu language Baldemu is a nearly extinct Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Speakers have been shifting to Fulfulde.- References :* -External links:**... |
North Cameroon. Shifting to Fulfulde. | 3 to 6 (2003 SIL) | Ethnologue | bdn | |
| Bikya language Bikya language Bikya is a Bantoid language isolate spoken in Cameroon. It is unknown if this language is still existent. In 1986 four surviving speakers were identified, although only one spoke the language fluently.... |
Speaker is a man in his seventies. | 1 (1986 R Breton) | Ethnologue | byb | |
| Bishuo language Bishuo language The Bishuo Language is a language of Cameroon. It was spoken in the North West Province, Menchum Division, Furu-Awa Subdivision, Ntjieka, Furu-Turuwa, and the Furu-Sambari villages. It was related to Bikya. It was reported by Breton 1986 that the Bishuo people had shifted to Jukun. However,... |
1 (1986 R Breton) | Ethnologue | bwh | ||
| Bung language Bung language The Bung language is a nearly extinct language of Cameroon spoken by 3 people at the village of Boung on the Adamawa Plateau. A wordlist collected for it shows its strongest resemblance to be with the Ndung dialect of Mambiloid language Kwanja, although that may simply be because this has become... |
3 (1995 Connell) | Ethnologue | bqd | ||
| Busuu language Busuu language Busuu is an unclassified Southern Bantoid language of Cameroon. R Breton noted in 1986 that there were just 8 speakers left, while as of 2005 there are 3 living speakers of the language.- External links :***... |
8 (1986 Breton) | Ethnologue | bju | ||
| Dama language | 50 | Ethnologue | dmm | ||
| Luo Language Luo language (Atta) The Luo language is an unclassified language spoken in a section of the Atta region of Cameroon. It is a critically endangered language, with only one speaker remaining as of 1995. Ethnologue calls it "nearly extinct," but admits that it is highly likely that this language is extinct.... |
1 | Ethnologue | luw | Luo Language | |
| Ndai language | 5 | Ethnologue | gke | ||
| Ngong language | 2 (1983 Atlas Linguistique du Cameroun) | Ethnologue | nnx | ||
| Oblo language Oblo language Oblo is a poorly attested, unclassified, and possibly extinct language of northern Cameroon. It was assumed to be one of the Adamawa languages, but hasn't been included in recent classifications.... |
Ethnologue | obl | |||
| Pam language | 30 (2003 SIL) | Ethnologue | pmn | ||
| Twendi language | 30 (2000 Connell) | Ethnologue | twn | ||
| Zumaya language Zumaya language Zumaya is a moribund Chadic language spoken in Cameroon.-External links:***... |
25 (1987 SIL) | Ethnologue | zuy | ||
Central African RepublicCentral African RepublicThe Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodo language Bodo language Bodo is a language that belongs to the branch of Barish section under Baric division of the Tibeto-Burman languages and spoken by the Bodo people of north-eastern India and Nepal... |
15 (1996) | Ethnologue | boy | ||
ChadChadChad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berakou language | 2 (1995 Djarangar). | Ethnologue | bxv | ||
| Buso language Buso language Buso is a nearly extinct Afro-Asiatic language spoken in western Chad.... |
40 (1971 Welmers). | Ethnologue | bso | ||
| Goundo language | 30 (1998). | Ethnologue | goy | ||
| Mabire language Mabire language Mabire is a nearly extinct Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Oulek village in Chad.- References :* **-Further reading:* Eric Johnson & Cameron Hamm. 2002. "Mabire: A Dying Language of Chad," SIL Electronic Working Papers 2002-002.... |
3 (2001 SIL). | Ethnologue | muj | ||
| Massalat language | 10 (1991 R Blench) | Ethnologue | mdg | ||
| Noy language Noy language The Noy Language is a nearly extinct language of Chad. It has a population of 36 people who live in regions: Moyen-Chari and Mandoul regions, between Sarh, Djoli, Bédaya, Koumra, and Koumogo villages . It is also called Loo.... |
36 (1993 census). | Ethnologue | noy | ||
EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anfillo language Anfillo language Anfillo is a Northern Omotic language spoken in western Ethiopia by a few hundred people. The term Anfillo is used to refer both to the language and the people found in a small community in the Anfillo woreda, part of the Mirab Welega Zone. The language is on the verge of extinction as it is... |
500 | Ethnologue | myo | ||
| Birale language | 19 (2000 M Brenzinger) | Ethnologue | bxe | ||
| Shabo language Shabo language Shabo is an endangered language spoken by about 600 hunter-gatherers in southwestern Ethiopia, in the westernmost part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region. They live in three places in the Keficho Shekicho Zone: Anderaccha, Gecha, and Kaabo... |
400-500 | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
sbf | ||
GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animere language Animere language Animere is a language spoken in Ghana, in the Kecheibe and Kunda villages of the Benimbere people. It is most closely related to Kebu or Akebu of Togo. Both are Ghana Togo Mountain languages , classified as members of the Ka-Togo group by Heine... |
about 250 | Ethnologue | anf | ||
GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baga Koga language | Ethnologue | bgo | |||
| Baga Mboteni language Baga Mboteni language Baga Mboteni is a nearly extinct Senegambian language of Guinea.Despite the name, it is not one of the Baga languages.... |
Ethnologue | bgm | |||
KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Molo language El Molo language El Molo is a nearly extinct Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Kenya on the southeastern shore of Lake Turkana. It may be extinct as all speakers in 1994 were over 50. El Molo was thought to be extinct in the middle part of the 20th century, but a few speakers were found in the latter half of that... |
Also: Elmolo language, Fura-Pawa language, Ldes language, Dehes language | 8 (1994 Larsen) 400 (2000 M Brenzinger). | Ethnologue | elo | |
| Ogiek language Ogiek language Ogiek is a Southern Nilotic language cluster of the Kalenjin family spoken or once spoken by the Ogiek peoples, scattered groups of hunter-gatherers in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania... |
Also: Akie language; Kinare language, Okiek language | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
oki | ||
| Omotik language Omotik language Omotik is a Nilotic language of the Southern group. It is spoken by the hunter-gatherer Omotik people of the Great Rift Valley of Kenya among the Maasai; most of the Omotik population has shifted to the Maasai language.... |
50 (1980) | Ethnologue | omt | ||
| Yaaku language Yaaku language Yaaku is an endangered Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Kenya. It is Cushitic, but its position within that family in unclear... |
50 (1983) | Ethnologue | muu | ||
MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zenaga language Zenaga language Zenaga is a Berber language spoken by some 200 people between Mederdra and the Atlantic coast in southwestern Mauritania. The language shares its basic structure with other Berber languages, but specific details are quite different; in fact, it is probably the most divergent surviving Berber... |
Ethnologue | zen | |||
NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| !Kung language !Kung language !Kung or !Xun, also called Ju, is a dialect continuum spoken in Namibia, Botswana, and Angola by the !Kung people. Together with the ǂHoan language, it forms the Kx'a language family... |
AQlso spoken in Angola Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city... . Alternate names: Kung-Ekoka language; Ekoka-!Xû language; Kung language; !Xu language; !Ku language; !Xu language; !Hu language; Qxü language; !Xun language; !Khung language; !Xung language; |
1,000 in Namibia | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
isocode | ||
| Namibian Black German Namibian Black German Namibian Black German is a pidgin language spoken in various parts of Namibia. It is a non-standardized variety. Namibian Black German is based on standard German.... |
German Pidgen spoken by Africans loyal to the German colonies. | Only several. Nearly Extinct. | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
isocode | ||
NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassa-Kontagora language | 10 (1987) | Ethnologue | bsr | ||
| Bete language Bete language The Bete language of Nigeria is a nearly extinct language spoken by a small minority of the 3,000 inhabitants of Bete Town, Takum Local Government Authority, Taraba State; its speakers have mostly shifted to Jukun Takum. It is reported to have been close to Lufu and Bibi... |
50 (1992) | Ethnologue | |||
| Fali of Baissa language | Ethnologue | fah | |||
| Defaka language Defaka language The Defaka language is an Ijoid branch of the Niger–Congo languages, spoken in Nigeria. It is an endangered language.Ethnically, the Defaka are distinct from the Nkoroo, but they have assimilated to Nkoroo culture to such a degree that their language seems to be the only sign of a distinct Defaka... |
Ethnologue | afn | |||
| Kiong language | 100 (2004) | Ethnologue | kkm | ||
| Kudu-Camo language | 42 (1990 Michael Bross) | Ethnologue | kov | ||
| Labir language | Ethnologue | jku | |||
| Lere language | Ethnologue | gnh | |||
| Lufu language Lufu language The Lufu language of Nigeria is a language still spoken mostly by older adults among the Lufu people of the Takum Local Government Authority, Taraba State; its speakers have mostly shifted to Jukun. It is reported to have been close to Bete and Bibi... |
Ethnologue | ldq | |||
| Luri language (Nigeria) | 30 (1973 SIL) | Ethnologue | ldd | ||
| Njerep language | 6 (2000 B Connell) | Ethnologue | njr | ||
| Odut language | 20 (1980s, from Blench 2000) | Ethnologue | oda | ||
| Putai language Putai language Putai is a nearly extinct Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Nigeria. The language is dying out in favor of Kanuri.... |
50 | Ethnologue | mfl | ||
| Shau language | Ethnologue | sqh | |||
| Somyev language Somyev language Somyev , also known as Kila, is a nearly extinct Mambiloid language of Nigeria, spoken by a caste of blacksmiths that live among the Mambila.... |
15 to 20 (2000 Connell) | Ethnologue | kgt | ||
| Vono language | Also: Kiballo language, Kiwollo language | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
kch | ||
| Ziriya language | Ethnologue | zir | |||
SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karon language Karon language The Karon language is an endangered language of Senegal and Gambia. It belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family, and is particularly closely related to the Mlomp language.- External links :* *... |
Also spoken in Gambia. | Over 10,000 | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
krx | |
Sierra LeoneSierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bom language Bom language The Bom language is an endangered language of Sierra Leone. It belongs to the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family and is particularly closely related to the Bullom So language. Most speakers are bilingual in Mende, and use of the Bom language is declining among members of the ethnic... |
Ethnologue | bmf | |||
| Bullom So language Bullom So language The Bullom So language, also called Mmani or Mandingi, is an endangered language spoken near the border between Guinea and Sierra Leone. It belongs to the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family and is particularly closely related to the Bom language. The people have intermarried with Temne... |
Also spoken in Guinea Guinea Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures... |
Ethnologue | buy | ||
SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boon language Boon language Boon or Af-Boon is a nearly extinct East Cushitic language spoken by 59 people in Jilib District, Middle Jubba Region, Somalia. In recent decades they have shifted to the Maay dialect of Jilib. All speakers are older than 60.... |
59 (2000 WCD) | Ethnologue | bnl | ||
South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nǁng language | 10 (2003 Crawhall); 500 (1998 Nigel Crawhall, South African San Institute). | Ethnologue | ngh | ||
| Tsotsitaal language | Ethnologue | fly | |||
| Xiri language Xiri language Xiri or Xirikwa, in Afrikaans orthography Gri or Griqua , is a Khoe language of South Africa. It is related to Nama... |
87 (2000 WCD) | Ethnologue | xii | ||
TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
| Language | Comments | No. Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gweno language | Few (2000 M Brenzinger) 2,000 or more. | Ethnologue | gwe | ||
| Ongamo language Ongamo language Ongamo, or Ngasa, is an endangered or extinct Eastern Nilotic language of the Ngasa people of Tanzania. It is related to the Maa languages, but it is more distantly related to them than the Maa languages are to each other. Ongamo has 60% of lexical similarity with Maasai, 59% with Samburu, 58% with... |
Also: Ngasa language | Red Book of Endangered Languages Red Book of Endangered Languages The Red Book of Endangered Languages was published by UNESCO and collected a comprehensive list of the world's languages currently facing extinction... |
isocode | ||