What do WWII battles, ballistic missiles, and the deadly brown tree snake have in common?
Once considered extinct, Kaurna, native to the Adelaide Plains, is experiencing a revival through community and academic efforts, including language courses and resource development.
Once thought extinct, Cappadocian Greek experienced a revival when speakers who shifted to Turkish started using it again. It remains highly endangered with a small speaker base.
Spoken by the indigenous people of Northern California, Patwin has few fluent speakers. Efforts to revive the language involve educational programs and linguistic research.
Sources: (UNESCO Digital Library) (Preply) (Endangered Languages Project)
Spoken by the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas, this language has less than 100 speakers. Revitalization efforts include educational programs and community initiatives.
Extinct since 1992, Ubykh was once spoken in the Caucasus. Known for its large consonant inventory, its last native speaker's death marked its end, though documentation efforts continue.
Manx, a Celtic language, saw a revival after being declared extinct as a native language in the 1970s. With renewed interest, it now has hundreds of second-language speakers and is taught in schools. It's a hopeful example of a successful language revival.
Eyak became extinct in 2008 with the passing of its last native speaker. Efforts continue to revive the language through teaching and documentation projects.
Aka-Bo, once spoken in the Andaman Islands, is now considered extinct following the death of the last known speaker in 2010.
Once spoken by the Kansa tribe, this Siouan language now has no known fluent speakers. Efforts to revive it involve reconstructing the language from historical documents.
With fewer than 10 speakers, Tehuelche is critically endangered. Native to Patagonia, efforts to document and revive this language are ongoing.
With only a few elderly speakers remaining, Apiaká, an indigenous language of Brazil, is on the brink of extinction. Preservation efforts are minimal due to limited resources.
With less than 10 speakers, mostly elderly, the Votic language is critically endangered. Spoken in rural Russian communities, its survival hinges on revitalization efforts.
One of the last click languages, N|uu has less than 10 speakers. Efforts to preserve it include recording projects and teaching the younger San community members.
Native to a small region in India, Toto is endangered with around 1,000 speakers. Its preservation is challenged by the dominance of regional languages.
Liki, spoken in a small area of Indonesia, faces extinction with less than 20 speakers. Community efforts are key to its preservation.
With only one known speaker, Tanema's survival is critical. Its decline is due to the shift towards more dominant regional languages.
Once spoken widely along the Darling River, Paakantyi now has fewer than 10 speakers. Revival efforts include language classes and cultural programs.
Virtually unknown to the outside world, the Sentinelese language is spoken by the isolated Sentinelese tribe. Its status remains a mystery due to the tribe's limited contact with outsiders.
Once widespread in Europe, Gothic is now extinct. Its legacy survives in historical texts, offering insights into early Germanic languages.
Pitkern, a creole language in the South Pacific, has less than 50 speakers. Its unique blend of English and Tahitian elements reflects a rich cultural history.
With less than 10 elderly speakers, the Yuchi language is critically endangered. Efforts to document and teach the language are ongoing to preserve this unique linguistic heritage.
Native to the Colorado River, Chemehuevi has under 10 speakers. Preservation efforts include educational programs to revive this Uto-Aztecan language.
With fewer than 20 speakers, Kawésqar, native to southern Chile, is critically endangered. Its survival relies on cultural and educational initiatives.
Ongota, a nearly extinct language in Ethiopia, has only a handful of speakers. It's a unique language with unclear linguistic affiliations, highlighting the urgency of its preservation.
With fewer than 10 elderly speakers, Chamicuro is nearly extinct. This Amazonian language's decline is due to assimilation into Spanish-speaking society.
Part of the Wichí community, this language faces a decline among youth, who prefer to speak Spanish. Preservation efforts include bilingual education.
Spoken in eastern Nepal, Dumi is endangered with less than a dozen speakers. The younger generation's shift to Nepali threatens its existence, with little effort towards revival.
Ts’ixa, a Khoe language in Botswana, is endangered with few speakers. Its survival depends on the community's efforts to maintain its linguistic heritage.
Ainu, once common in Hokkaido, now teeters on extinction with just a few elderly speakers. Revival efforts focus on education and cultural reinforcement.
Critically endangered, Livonian has less than 40 speakers. Originating from Latvia's coast, its preservation relies on cultural programs and language courses.
Each language tells its own story, from the remote whispers of the Sentinelese to the resurgent voices of Manx speakers. These thirty tongues, teetering on the edge of silence, are more than just ways of communication; they are living, breathing embodiments of cultures, histories, and entire ways of life. As we journey through each one, we're reminded of the passionate efforts to keep these languages from vanishing into the echoes of time.
Join us in discovering the heartbeats of these endangered languages, each representing a unique human experience. Click through the gallery to get started.
The world's most endangered languages
These 30 languages may soon disappear completely
LIFESTYLE Speaking
Each language tells its own story, from the remote whispers of the Sentinelese to the resurgent voices of Manx speakers. These thirty tongues, teetering on the edge of silence, are more than just ways of communication; they are living, breathing embodiments of cultures, histories, and entire ways of life. As we journey through each one, we're reminded of the passionate efforts to keep these languages from vanishing into the echoes of time.
Join us in discovering the heartbeats of these endangered languages, each representing a unique human experience. Click through the gallery to get started.