List of endangered languages in Asia
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 speakers, it becomes an extinct language
.
Asia
is the world's largest and most populous continent
.
Afghanistan
Cambodia
China
India
Kalimantan
Maluku
Papua
Sumatra
Aramaic language of Christian minority but it is a minority
Iran
Israel
Japan
Laos
Peninsular Malaysia
Sarawak
Nepal
Oman
Philippines
Russia
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
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 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...
.
Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
is the world's largest and 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...
.
AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Askunu language Askunu language Askunu is a language of Afghanistan spoken by the Askunu, Sanu, and Gramsana people in the region of Pech Valley around Wama, northwest of Asadabad in Kunar province... |
ask | ||||
| Kalasha-ala language Kalasha-ala language Waigali or Waigeli is a language spoken by the Kalasha of the Nuristan Province in a few villages in the central part of the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. The native name is Kalasa-Alâ or simply Kalasa... |
wbk | ||||
| Mogholi language | Red Book 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... |
mhj | |||
| Rushani language Rushani language The Rushani language is a dialect of Shughni language, a Pamir language.-Literature:*Zarubin, I.I.. Bartangskie i rushanskie teksty i slovar. Moskva : Izd-vo Akademii nauk SSSR, 1937.... |
Red Book 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... |
none | |||
| Tirahi language | 100 Possibly 5,000. | Ethnologue | tra | ||
| Tregami language Tregami language Tregami, Trigami or Gambiri is a language spoken by the Tregami people in the villages of Gambir and Katar in the Watapur District of Kunar Province in Afghanistan.... |
trm | ||||
| Vasi-vari language Vasi-vari language Vasi-vari is a language spoken by the Vasi in a few villages in the Prasun Valley in Afghanistan. The most used alternative names are Prasuni or Prasun, which derive from Pashto.... |
100 Possibly 5,000. | Ethnologue | prn | ||
CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chong language Chong language Chong, or more specifically Western Chong , is an endangered language spoken in Cambodia and southeastern Thailand. It is a Western Pearic language in the Eastern Mon–Khmer language family branch. Chong is currently the focus of a language revitalization project in Thailand.The Chong language is... |
Also found in Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
5,500 | Red Book 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... |
cog | |
Caucasus
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archi language Archi language Archi is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by the 1,200 Archis in the village of Archib, southern Dagestan, Russia and the six surrounding smaller villages... |
Red Book 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... |
aqc | |||
| Bats language Bats language Bats is the language of the Bats people, a Caucasian minority group, and is part of the Nakh family of Caucasian languages. It had 2,500 to 3,000 speakers in 1975.... |
Red Book 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... |
bbl | |||
| Budukh language Budukh language Budukh or Budugh is a Samur language of the Northeast Caucasian language family spoken in parts of the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan. It was reportedly spoken by approximately 1,000 Budukhs in 1990, but Authier reports at most 200 speakers.... |
Red Book 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... |
bdk | |||
| Ghodoberi language | Red Book 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... |
gdo | |||
| Hinukh language Hinukh language The Hinukh language is a Northeast Caucasian language of the Tsezic subgroup. It is spoken by about 200 to 500 people, the Hinukhs, in the Tsunta district of southwestern Dagestan, mainly in the village of Genukh... |
Red Book 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... |
gin | |||
| Hunzib language Hunzib language Hunzib is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by about 1840 people in southern Dagestan, near the Russian border with Georgia.-Classification:... |
Red Book 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... |
huz | |||
| Khinalug language Khinalug language Khinalug is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken by about 1,500 people in the villages of Khinalug and Gülüstan in the mountains of Quba Rayon, northern Azerbaijan... |
Red Book 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... |
none | |||
| Khwarshi language Khwarshi language Khwarshi, also spelled Khvarshi, is a Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Tsumadinsky-, Kizilyurtovsky- and Khasavyurtovsky districts of Dagestan by the Khwarshi people. The exact number of speakers is not known, but the linguist Zaira Khalilova, who has carried out fieldwork in the period... |
3,000 (2006) | Red Book 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... |
none | ||
| Kryts language Kryts language Kryts , or Jek , is a Samur language of the Northeast Caucasian language family spoken in parts of the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan by 6,000 people in 1975.... |
Red Book 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... |
kry | |||
| Svan language Svan language The Svan language is a Kartvelian language spoken in the Western Georgian region of Svaneti primarily by the Georgians of Svan origin... |
Red Book 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... |
sva | |||
| Tindi language Tindi language Tindi is an Northeast Caucasian language spoken in the Russian republic of Dagestan. It is only an oral language; Avar or Russian are used in written communication instead. It has approximately 5000 speakers.-External links:*... |
Red Book 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... |
tin | |||
| Udi language Udi language The Udi language, spoken by the Udi people, is a member of the Lezgic branch of the Northeast Caucasian language family. It is believed an earlier form of it was the main language of Caucasian Albania, which stretched from south Dagestan to current day Azerbaijan.The language is spoken by about... |
Red Book 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... |
udi | |||
ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ejnu language | Red Book 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... |
none | |||
| Macanese language Macanese language Macanese or Macau Creole is a creole language derived mainly from Malay, Sinhalese, Cantonese, and Portuguese, which was originally spoken by the Macanese community of the Portuguese colony of Macau... |
Macau Macau Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China... |
mzs | |||
| Manchu language Manchu language Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus... |
60 | Red Book 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... |
mnc | ||
| Sarikoli language | Red Book 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... |
srh | |||
IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aka-Jeru creole Aka-Jeru language The Jeru language, Aka-Jeru , is a Great Andamanese language, of the Northern group. Whether Jeru is extinct is disputed. The Andaman website reports 7 speakers; at issue is whether the surviving Great Andamanese language is Jeru, Pucikwar, or a creole based on several languages, of which Jeru is a... |
24 (2000 Verma). | Ethnologue | apq | ||
| Khamyang language | 50 (2003). | Ethnologue | ksu | ||
| Parenga language | 767 (2002). | Ethnologue | pcj | ||
| Ruga language | Ethnologue | ruh | |||
| Shompen language(s) | |||||
KalimantanKalimantanIn English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lengilu language | 3 to 4 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | lgi | ||
MalukuMaluku IslandsThe Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amahai language | 50 (1987 SIL). | Ethnologue | amq | ||
| Hoti language | 10 (1987 SIL). | Ethnologue | hti | ||
| Hukumina language | 1 (1989 SIL). | Ethnologue | huw | ||
| Hulung language | 10 (1991 SIL). | Ethnologue | huk | ||
| Ibu language | 35 (1987 Voorhoeve and Visser) 50 to 200 in the ethnic group (1984). | Ethnologue | ibu | ||
| Kamarian language | 10 (1987 SIL) 6,000 in the village (1987 SIL). | Ethnologue | kzx | ||
| Kayeli language Kayeli language Kayeli is an Austronesian language which was used by the Kayeli people who lived in Indonesian island Buru . Two dialects were recognized, namely Leliali and Lumaete... |
3 (1995)Not used for 3 decades by the speakers (1989 C Grimes SIL) 800 (1995). | Ethnologue | kzl | ||
| Loun language Loun language The Loun language is an Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, mainly in the Maluku archipelago. The language is critically endangered, even the most optimistic estimates give the language less than 100 speakers.... |
20. | Ethnologue | lox | ||
| Naka'ela language | 5 (1985 SIL). | Ethnologue | nae | ||
| Nusa Laut language | 10 2,226 (1989 SIL). | Ethnologue | nul | ||
| Paulohi language | 50 (1982). | Ethnologue | plh | ||
| Piru language | 10 (1985 Y Taguchi SIL). | Ethnologue | ppr | ||
PapuaWestern New GuineaWest Papua informally refers to the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. The region is officially administered as two provinces: Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.The population of approximately 3 million...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonerif language | 4 (1994 SIL). | Ethnologue | bnv | ||
| Burumakok language | 40 (1994 Kroneman). | Ethnologue | aip | ||
| Duriankere language | 30 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | dbn | ||
| Dusner language Dusner language Dusner is spoken in the Wandamen Bay area Cenderawasih Bay in the province of Papua, Indonesia. Dusner is highly endangered, and has been reported to have just three remaining speakers.... |
20 (2000). | Ethnologue | dsn | ||
| Kanum, BA?di language | 10 (1996 Mark Donohue). | Ethnologue | khd | ||
| Kapori language Kapori language Kapori is a former language isolate related to the small family of Kaure languages in the classification of Malcolm Ross .... |
30 to 40 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | khp | ||
| Kehu language Kehu language Kehu is an unclassified and nearly extinct language of New Guinea.Mark Donohue said that Kehu is "probably a Geelvink Bay language, but noone knows enough about those languages, systematically, to say this with confidence for anyone [sic] beyond Barapasi, Tunggare and Bauzi"... |
25 (2002 SIL). | Ethnologue | khh | ||
| Kembra language Kembra language The Kembra language is an unclassified Papuan language spoken in Western New Guinea by some twenty persons. It appears to be used by 20% to 60% of the ethnic population and is no longer passed down to children, which makes it an endangered language... |
20 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | xkw | ||
| Kwerisa language | 15 to 50 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | kkb | ||
| Mander language | 20 (1991 SIL). | Ethnologue | mqr | ||
| Mapia language | 1. | Ethnologue | mpy | ||
| Maremgi language | 40 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | mrx | ||
| Massep language Massep language Massep is a poorly documented Papuan language spoken by under 50 people in a single village. Despite the small number of speakers, however, language use is vigorous. Donohue et al. conclude that it is definitely not a Kwerba language, as it had been classified by Wurm , and they did not notice... |
25 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | mvs | ||
| Mor language Mor language The Mor language of Indonesian Papua may be:*Mor language *Mor language... |
20 to 30 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | moq | ||
| Saponi language Saponi language Saponi is nearly extinct a Papuan language of Indonesia. It shares half of its basic vocabulary with the Rasawa language, but it's not clear that they are related. Saponi shares none of its pronouns with the Lakes Plain family that Rasawa is part of; indeed its basic pronouns mamire "I, we" and ba... |
4 to 5 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | spi | ||
| Tandia language Tandia language Tandia is a possibly extinct Austronesian language in the putative Cenderawasih of Indonesian Papua. It is not closely related to other languages. Speakers have shifted to Wandamen.... |
2 (1991 SIL). | Ethnologue | tni | ||
| Usku language Usku language Usku, or Afra, is a nearly extinct and poorly documented Papuan language spoken by about 20 people, mostly adults, in Usku village, Papua, Indonesia. Wurm placed it as an independent branch of Trans–New Guinea, but Ross could not find enough evidence to classify it.-External links:*... |
20 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | ulf | ||
| Woria language | 5 to 6 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | wor | ||
SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lom language | 2 to 10 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | mfb | ||
Aramaic language of Christian minority but it is a minority
IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abduyi dialect Abduyi dialect The Abduyi dialect is a Northwestern Iranian language spoken in the village of Abduyi, reachable from Kazerun city in Southern Iran, through the old road of Shiraz-Kazerun after 36 kilometers. The number of households of the village has been around 120 in 2004.... |
none | ||||
| Davani dialect Davani dialect The Davani dialect is a southwestern iranian language or southwestern dialect of Fars, spoken in the village of Davan, 12 kilometers north of Kazerun city in Southern Iran... |
none | ||||
| Gilaki Language Gilaki language The Gilaki language is a Caspian language, and a member of the northwestern Iranian language branch, spoken in Iran's Gīlān Province.The language is divided into three dialects: Western Gilaki, Eastern Gilaki, and Galeshi . Furthermore, the Gilaki language is closely related to Mazanderani, and the... |
glk | ||||
| Luri Language Luri language Lori or Luri is a collection of Southwestern Iranian languages which are mainly spoken by the Lurs and Bakhtiari people in the Iranian provinces of Loristan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and parts of Khuzestan and Esfahan province and Fars provinces... |
none |
IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barzani Jewish Neo-Aramaic language | 20 (2004 Mutzafi). | Ethnologue | bjf | ||
| Yevanic language Yevanic language Yevanic, otherwise known as Judeo-Greek, was the dialect of the Romaniotes, the group of Greek Jews whose existence in Greece is documented since the Hellenistic period. Its linguistic lineage stems from the Hellenistic Koine and includes Hebrew elements as well. It was mutually intelligible with... |
35 in Israel There were a few semispeakers left in 1987 and may be none now Population total all countries: 50. | Ethnologue | yej | ||
JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ainu language Ainu language Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō.... |
15 in Russia (1996 Alexander Vovin) ~100s in Japan. | Ethnologue | |||
| Amami language Amami language The Amami language Shimayumuta) is spoken in the Amami Islands south of Kyūshū. The number of competent native speakers is not known, but native speakers can be found mostly among old people—as a result of Japanese language policy, the younger generations speaks mostly Japanese as their first... |
|||||
| Hachijo language | |||||
| Kunigami language Kunigami language The Kunigami language is an Okinawan language spoken largely in the north of Okinawa Island. Like other Okinawan languages, Kunigami is part of the Ryukyuan family... |
|||||
| Miyako language Miyako language Miyako is a language spoken in the Miyako Islands, located southwest of Okinawa. The combined population of the islands is about 52,000 . Miyako is a Ryukyuan language, most closely related to Yaeyama... |
|||||
| Okinawa language | |||||
| Yaeyama language Yaeyama language Yaeyama is a Ryukyuan language that is spoken in the Yaeyama Islands, the southernmost inhabited island group in Japan, with a combined population of about 50,000 . The Yaeyama Islands are situated to the southwest of the Miyako area of the Ryukyus and to the east of Taiwan. Yaeyama is most... |
|||||
| Yonaguni language Yonaguni language Yonaguni is a Ryukyuan language spoken by around 800 people on the island of Yonaguni, in the Ryukyu Islands, just east of Taiwan. It is most closely related to Yaeyama..-Phonology:... |
LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arem language Arem language Arem is an endangered language spoken in a small area on either side of the Laos-Vietnam border. In 1996 there were estimated to be about twenty speakers in each country. It is therefore on the verge of extinction. Its nearest relative may be the Chut language of Vietnam.Arem lacks the breathy... |
20 in Laos 500 (1995). | Ethnologue | aem | ||
Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mintil language | 40 (1975 SIL). | Ethnologue | mzt | ||
| Orang Kanaq language Orang Kanaq language Orang Kanaq language is one of the Aboriginal Malay languages and it is grouped under the Austonesian Language family. It is spoken by the Orang Kanaq, which is one of the 19 Orang Asli groups living in Peninsular Malaysia... |
34 (1981 Wurm and Hattori). | Ethnologue | orn | ||
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papia-kristang language | Red Book 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... |
cpp | |||
SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punan Batu 1 language | 30 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | pnm | ||
NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chintang language Chintang language Chintang , also called Chhintang is an eastern Kiranti language spoken by 5,000 to 6,000 people in Chintang Village Development Committee in Dhankuta District, Koshi Zone, Nepal.-References:... |
Ethnologue | ctn | |||
| Chukwa language | 100 (1991 W Winter). | Ethnologue | cuw | ||
| Dumi language Dumi language Dumi is a Kiranti language spoken in the area around the Tap and Rava rivers and their confluence in Khotang district, Nepal.-External links:**-References:... |
3 (2000 Van Driem) 1,000 to 2,000 (1991 W Winter). | Ethnologue | dus | ||
| Lingkhim language | 1 (1991 W Winter). | Ethnologue | lii | ||
| Saam language | 23 (2001 census). | Ethnologue | raq | ||
OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harsusi language Harsusi language Harsusi is a Semitic language closely related to Mehri. It is spoken by 1,000 to 2,000 Harasis in Jiddat al-Harasis, Dhofar Province, Oman. Reportedly, the Harasis are increasing their use of the more dominant Mehri and are bilingual in Arabic.... |
Ethnologue | hss | |||
PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabat Island Agta language | see Bikol languages Bikol languages The Bikol languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken particularly on the Bicol Peninsula on the island of Luzon and parts of Catanduanes and Burias Island, Masbate Province... |
30 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | dul | |
| Isarog Agta language | see Bikol languages Bikol languages The Bikol languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken particularly on the Bicol Peninsula on the island of Luzon and parts of Catanduanes and Burias Island, Masbate Province... |
5 to 6 (2000 Wurm) 1,000 (1984 SIL). | Ethnologue | agk | |
| Northern Alta language | Red Book 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... |
phi | |||
| Arta language | 15 (2000 Wurm)Population includes 12 in Villa Santiago, 1 in Villa Gracia, 3 or 4 in Nagtipunan (1992 L Reid). | Ethnologue | atz | ||
| Ata language Ata language The Ata language, also known as Pele-Ata or Wasi, is a language isolate spoken on New Britain island, Papua New Guinea. It may be related to the Anêm and Yélî Dnye isolates in a tentative Yele-West New Britain family. There are about 2000 speakers.... |
2 to 5 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | atm | ||
| Atta-faire language | Red Book 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... |
none | |||
| Ayta-bataan language | Red Book 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... |
none | |||
| Ayta, Sorsogon language | 15 to 20 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | ays | ||
| Ratagnon language Ratagnon language Ratagnon is a language spoken by the Ratagnon people, an indigenous group from Occidental Mindoro. Its speakers are shifting to Tagalog, and it is nearly extinct.... |
2 to 3 (2000 Wurm) 2,000 (1997 SIL). | Ethnologue | btn | ||
RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
)
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ainu language Ainu language Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō.... |
Ethnologue | ||||
| Mednyj Aleut language | see Aleut language Aleut language Aleut is a language of the Eskimo–Aleut language family. It is the heritage language of the Aleut people living in the Aleutian Islands, Pribilof Islands, and Commander Islands. As of 2007 there were about 150 speakers of Aleut .- Dialects :Aleut is alone with the Eskimo languages in the... |
10 (1995 M Krauss). | Ethnologue | mud | |
| Chukchi language Chukchi language The Chukchi language is a Palaeosiberian language spoken by Chukchi people in the easternmost extremity of Siberia, mainly in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug... |
Ethnologue | ckt | |||
| Chulym language Chulym language Chulym , also known as Chulim, Chulym-Turkic, Küerik, Chulym Tatar or Melets Tatar is the language of the Chulyms. The name the people use to refer to themselves, and also to their language, is Ös, literally ‘self’ or ‘own’... |
Ethnologue | clw | |||
| Forest Enets language | see Enets language Enets language Enets is a Samoyedic language spoken by the Enets people along the lower Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. There are two distinct dialects - Forest Enets and Tundra Enets - which may be considered separate languages. There are only about seventy speakers in total, with slightly more... |
40 (1995 M Krauss) 209 with Tundra Enets (1989 census). | Ethnologue | enf | |
| Tundra Enets language | see Enets language Enets language Enets is a Samoyedic language spoken by the Enets people along the lower Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. There are two distinct dialects - Forest Enets and Tundra Enets - which may be considered separate languages. There are only about seventy speakers in total, with slightly more... |
30 (1995 M Krauss) 209 together with Forest Enets (1990 census). | Ethnologue | enh | |
| Karagas language | 25 to 30 (2001) 730 (1989 census). | Ethnologue | kim | ||
| Kerek language Kerek language Kerek was a language of Russia that belongs to the northern branch of the Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages. On historical linguistic grounds it is most closely related to Koryak... |
2 (1997 M Krauss)There were 200 to 400 speakers in 1900 400. | Ethnologue | krk | ||
| Ket language Ket language The Ket language, formerly known as Yenisei Ostyak, is a Siberian language long thought to be an isolate, the sole surviving language of a Yeniseian language family... |
The last Ieniseian language Yeniseian languages The Yeniseian language family is spoken in central Siberia.-Family division:0. Proto-Yeniseian... |
550 to 990 (1995 M. Krauss). | Ethnologue | ket | |
| Orok language Orok language Orok is the Russian name for the language known by its speakers as Ulta or Ujlta. Similarly, the people are called Oroks or Ulta. It is counted among the Tungusic languages... |
see Orok people | 30 to 82 in Russia (1995 M Krauss)Population total all countries: 33 to 85 250 to 300 (1995 M Krauss). | Ethnologue | oaa | |
| Udihe language | 100 (1991 Kibrik) 1,600 (1991 Kibrik). | Ethnologue | ude | ||
| Ulch language Ulch language The Ulch language, or Olcha, is a Tungusic language spoken by the Ulch people in Siberia.- Alphabet :In brackets are letters that are used in writing, though not officially included in the alphabet.... |
Siberia Siberia Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th... |
Ethnologue | ulc | ||
| Yugh language Yugh language Yugh is a Yeniseian language, closely related to Ket, formerly spoken by the Yugh people, one of the southern groups along the Yenisei River in central Siberia. In the past it was regarded as a dialect of the Ket language, which was considered to be a language isolate... |
2 or 3 (1991 G K Verner in Kibrik)Nonfluent speakers 10 to 15 (1991 G K Verner in Kibrik). | Ethnologue | yuu | ||
| Northern Yukaghir language Northern Yukaghir language The Tundra Yukaghir language is one of only two Yukaghir languages.Last spoken in the tundra belt extending between the lower Indigirka to the lower Kolyma basin... |
see Yukaghir languages Yukaghir languages The Yukaghir languages are a small family of two closely related languages – Tundra and Kolyma Yukaghir – spoken by the Yukaghir in the Russian Far East living in the basin of the Kolyma River. According to the 2002 Russian census, both Yukaghir languages taken together have 604 speakers... |
30 to 150 (1995 M Krauss, 1989 census) 230 to 1,100 (1995 M Krauss, 1989 census). | Ethnologue | ykg | |
| Southern Yukaghir language Southern Yukaghir language The Southern, Kolyma or Forest Yukaghir language is one of only two Yukaghir languages.Last spoken in the forest zone near the sources of the Kolyma, divided between the Sakha Republic and the Magadan Oblast , previously in the wider area of the upper Kolyma region.-Classification and grammatical... |
see Yukaghir languages Yukaghir languages The Yukaghir languages are a small family of two closely related languages – Tundra and Kolyma Yukaghir – spoken by the Yukaghir in the Russian Far East living in the basin of the Kolyma River. According to the 2002 Russian census, both Yukaghir languages taken together have 604 speakers... |
10 to 50 (1995 M Krauss, 1989 census) 130 (1995 M Krauss, 1989 census). | Ethnologue | yux | |
Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veddah Language | 300 (1993 SIL). | Ethnologue | ved | ||
| Sri Lanka Malay Sri Lanka Malay The Sri Lankan Malay is an Austronesian language formed through a unique mixture of the Sinhalese language and the Tamil language with Malay... |
50,000(1986 Hussainmiya, Prentice 1994:411). | Ethnologue | sci | ||
TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amis, Nataoran language | Commonly considered a dialect of Amis Amis language Amis is the Formosan language of the Amis Ami, an indigenous tribal people living along the east coast of Taiwan . It is spoken from Hualien in the north to Taitung in the south, with another population near the southern end of the island, though the northern varieties are sometimes considered a... . |
5 (2000 Wurm). | Ethnologue | ais | |
| Babuza language Babuza language Babuza is a Formosan language of the Babuza and Taokas, indigenous peoples of Taiwan. It is related to or perhaps descended from Favorlang, attested from the 16th century.Babuza was once spoken along much of the western coast of Taiwan... |
3 to 4 (2000 S Wurm). | Ethnologue | bzg | ||
| Kanakanabu language Kanakanabu language Kanakanabu is a Southern Tsouic language is spoken by the Kanakanabu, an indigenous people of Taiwan . It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family.... |
6 to 8 (2000 Wurm) 250 (UNESCO). | Ethnologue | xnb | ||
| Kavalan language Kavalan language Kavalan was formerly spoken in the Northeast coast area of Taiwan by the Kavalan people . It is an East Formosan language of the Austronesian family.... |
24 (2000 Li). | Ethnologue | ckv | ||
| Kulon-Pazeh language | 0 (Source -->Ethnologue | uun | |||
| Saaroa language Saaroa language Saaroa is a Southern Tsouic language is spoken by the Saaroa, a tribe of indigenous people on Taiwan . It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family.-Language evolution:... |
5 to 6 (2000 Wurm) 300 (2000 UNESCO Red Book). | Ethnologue | sxr | ||
| Saisiyat language Saisiyat language Saisiyat is the language of the Saisiyat, a tribe of indigenous people on Taiwan . It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family... |
Red Book 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... |
xsy | |||
| Thao language Thao language Thao , also known as Sao, is the language of the Thao people, a tribe of Taiwanese aborigines in the region of Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan. In 2000 there were approximately 5 or 6 speakers living in Dehua village , all but one of whom were over the age of sixty... |
5 to 6 (2000 Wurm) 248 (1989). | Ethnologue | ssf | ||
TajikistanTajikistanTajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartangi language Bartangi language The Bartangi language is a Pamir language spoke along the Bartang River from Yemtz to Nikbist. It is typically classified as a dialect of Shughni, but is quite distinct.-References:... |
Red Book 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... |
none | |||
| Ishkashimi language Ishkashimi language The Ishkashimi language is one of the Pamir languages of the Southeastern Iranian language group. Its distribution is in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan, Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan and Chitral region of Pakistan.... |
Red Book 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... |
ira | |||
| Oroshani language | see Pamir languages Pamir languages The Pamir languages are a group of the Eastern Iranian languages, spoken by numerous people in the Pamir Mountains, primarily along the Panj River and its tributaries. This includes the Badakhshan Province of northeastern Afghanistan and the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province of eastern Tajikistan... see Shughni language Shughni language Shughni is one of the Pamir languages of the Southeastern Iranian language group. Its distribution is in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan and Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan.... |
Red Book 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... |
sgh | ||
| Yaghnobi language Yaghnobi language The Yaghnobi language is a living East Iranian language . Yaghnobi is spoken in the upper valley of the Yaghnob River in the Zarafshan area of Tajikistan by the Yaghnobi people... |
Red Book 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... |
yai | |||
| Yazgulami language | Red Book 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... |
yah | |||
ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mok language | 7 (1981 Wurm and Hattori). | Ethnologue | mqt | ||
UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judeo-Crimean Tatar language | Ethnologue | jct | |||
VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arem language Arem language Arem is an endangered language spoken in a small area on either side of the Laos-Vietnam border. In 1996 there were estimated to be about twenty speakers in each country. It is therefore on the verge of extinction. Its nearest relative may be the Chut language of Vietnam.Arem lacks the breathy... |
see Chut people Chut people The Chut are a small ethnic group located in the Minh Hóa and Tuyên Hóa districts of Quảng Bình Province, in Vietnam's North Central Coast. There are multiple sub-ethnic groups within the Chut designation including the Rục, Mày, Arem, Mã Liêng, and Sách... |
20 in Viet Nam (1996 Ferlus) Population total all countries: 40 100 in Viet Nam (1996 Ferlus) | Ethnologue | aem | |
| Gelao, Red language | see Gelao language Gelao language Gelao is a dialect cluster of Kra languages in the Tai–Kadai language family, spoken by the Gelao people in China and Vietnam. Despite an ethnic population of 580,000 , however, only a few thousand still speak the language... (distinct ISO 639-3 code) |
20 | Ethnologue | gir | |
| Gelao, White language | see Gelao language Gelao language Gelao is a dialect cluster of Kra languages in the Tai–Kadai language family, spoken by the Gelao people in China and Vietnam. Despite an ethnic population of 580,000 , however, only a few thousand still speak the language... (distinct ISO 639-3 code) |
20 (2002 Edmondson). | Ethnologue | giw | |
YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
| Language | Comments | Speakers | Source | ISO 639-3 | Ethnologue entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathari language Bathari language Bathari is an endangered Semitic language spoken in a small area of Yemen and Oman.... |
Also in Oman Oman Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the... |
Ethnologue | bhm | ||