List of endangered languages in North America

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 defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct":[1]

  • Vulnerable
  • Definitely endangered
  • Severely endangered
  • Critically endangered

North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the southeast. It covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 sq mi), about 4.8% of the planet's surface or about 16.5% of its land area. As of July 2007, its population was estimated at nearly 524 million people.

Today, North America only has a total of 256 living languages. However, out of those 256 languages, 238 are in the realm of extinction.[2] That is, 92% of languages that are dying. The United States has the highest number of dying languages, 143 out of 219 languages,[3] then Canada with 75 dying out of its 94 languages,[4] and lastly, Greenland has the smallest number, nil of its two spoken languages.[5]

Canada

Canada
Language Comments Speakers Source
Beaver language300 speakers in 1991.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Bella Coola languageAlso: Nuxalk language20 (2002 Poser) 700 (1991 Kinkade).
Cayuga language40 to 60 speakers in 2002.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Chinook Wawa languageAlso: Chinook Jargon language83 in Canada (1962 Chafe)Population total all countries: 100.
Northern Haida languageSee Haida language30 in Canada (1995 M Krauss)Population total all countries: 45 1,100 in Canada (1995 M Krauss).
Southern Haida languageSee Haida language10 (1995 M Krauss) 500 (1995 M Krauss).
Haisla language25 (1991 M Dale Kinkade) 1,000 (1977 SIL).
Heiltsuk languageHai?zaqvla300 (1991 M Dale Kinkade).
Han language7 or 8 in Canada (1997 Krauss) 300.
Inuiuukᐃᓄᐃᐆᒃ40 in Nunavut (2012 Joke Schuit).University of Central Lancashire[6]
Kutenai languageKutanaxa6 in Canada (2002 Poser)Population total all countries: 12.
Maritime Sign Language
Michif languageAbout 600 speakers in 1998.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Munsee language7 or 8 (1991 M Dale Kinkade) 400 (1991 M Dale Kinkade).
Oneida languagefewer than 250 speakers in 1991.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Onondaga language50 to 100 speakers in 1991.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Potawatomi language100 speakersRed Book of Endangered Languages
Plains Sign Talk
Salish language Red Book of Endangered Languages
Straits Salish language20 in Canada (2002 Poser) 3,000 (1977 SIL).
Sechelt languageAlso: Shishalh language40 (1990 M.D Kinkade) 550 (1977 SIL).
Sekani language30 to 40 (1997 Sharon Hargus) 600 (1982 SIL and 1997 S Hargus).
Seneca language25 speakers in 1991.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Squamish language15 (2002 Poser) 2,300.
Tagish language2 (1995 M Krauss) 400 possibly (1995 M Krauss).
Tahltan language35 (2002 Poser) 750 (1977 SIL).
Tlingit language145 speakers in Canada in 1998.Red Book of Endangered Languages
Tsuut’ina languageAlso: Tsuu T'ina language, Sarsi language, Sarcee language50 (1991 M. Dale Kinkade)Red Book of Endangered Languages
Tuscarora language7 or 8 in Canada (1991 Kinkade)Population total all countries: 11 to 13.
Western Abnaki language20 (1991 M Krauss) 1,800 including Eastern Abnaki in USA (1982 SIL).

United States

USA
Language Comments Speakers Source
Achumawi language10 nonfluent speakers (1997 Nevin) 1,000 (1997 Bruce Nevin).
Alutiiq language30 speakers (2009) 1,000 .
Ahtena language80 (1995 M Krauss) 500 (1995 M Krauss).
Kiowa Apache language18 (1990 census) 1,000 (1977 SIL).
Lipan Apache language2 or 3 (1981 R W Young) 100 (1977 SIL).
Arikara language20 (1997 Parks) 3,000.
Atsugewi language3 (1994 L Hinton) 200 (1977 SIL)1,350 with Achumawi (2000 A Yamamoto).
Caddo language25 (1997 Chafe) 3,371 (1997 W Chafe).
Cahuilla language7 to 20 (1994 L Hinton) 35 (1990 census).
Chetco language5 (1962 Chafe) 100 possibly (1977 SIL).
Chinook language12 speakers of Kiksht dialect (1996) 300 possibly (1977 SIL).
Chinook Wawa language17 in the USA (1990 census).
Clallam language10 (1997 Timothy Montler) Several thousands (1997 T Montler).
Coeur d'Alene language5 (1999 R McDonald) 800 (1977 SIL).
Comanche languageless than 130 (less than 1% of 13,000 tribal members as of 2006)
Coos language1 or 2 (1962 Chafe) 250 (1977 SIL).
Degexit'an language20 to 30 (1997 Sharon Hargus) 250 to 300 (1997 M Krauss).
Gros Ventre language10 (1977 SIL)Very few semispeakers in 2000 (2001 Goddard) 1,200 (1977 SIL).
Northern Haida language15 in the USA (1995 M Krauss) 600 in the USA (1995 M Krauss).
Han language7 or 8 in Alaska (1995 M Krauss)Population total all countries: 14 300.
Hawai'i Sign LanguageA few users out of about 6,000 profoundly deaf people in Hawaii (1987 Honolulu Star-Bulletin), 72,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing people in Hawaii (1998 Honolulu Advertiser).
Holikachuk language12 (1995 M Krauss) 200 (1995 M Krauss).
Hupa language8 (1998 Brook) 2,000.
Kalapuya language1 or 2 (1962 Chafe).
Kansa language19 (1990 census) 250 (1986 SIL).
Karok language10 (1997 William Bright) 1,900 (2000 A Yamamoto).
Kashaya language45 (1994 L Hinton).
Kawaiisu language8 to 10 (2000 L Hinton) 35 (2000 A Yamamoto).
Klamath-Modoc language1 (1998 N.Y Times, April 9, p A20) 2,000 (1997 Scott DeLancey).
Upper Kuskokwim language40 (1995 Krauss)3 households (1997) 160 (1995 Krauss).
Kutenai language6 in the USA (2002).
Louisiana Creole language9,600 (2010).
Louisiana French language150,000 to 200,000 (2012).
Luiseño language30 to 40 (2000 L Hinton) 2,000 (2000 A Yamamoto).
Lushootseed language60 (1990 M D Kinkade)Population evenly divided between the northern and southern dialects 2,000 (1990 M D Kinkade).
Northeast Maidu language1 to 2 (1994 L Hinton) 108 (1990 census).
Northwest Maidu language3 to 6 (1994 L Hinton) 200 (1977 SIL).
Mandan language6 (1992 M Krauss) 400 (1986 SIL and 1997 M Mixco).
Menominee language39 (3,500 ethnic) (1977 SIL).
Central Sierra Miwok language12 Population includes 6 Eastern Central Sierra, 6 Western Central Sierra (1994 L Hinton) Possibly 5,000 all Miwok (2000 Yamamoto).
Lake Miwok language1 to 2 (1994 L Hinton).
Northern Sierra Miwok language6 (1994 L Hinton).
Plains Miwok language1 (1962 H Landar in Sebeok 1977).
Southern Sierra Miwok language7 Southern Central Sierra Miwok (1994 L Hinton).
Mono languageWestern Mono: 37 to 41 (1994 L Hinton) Population includes 10-12 North Fork, 15 Auberry, 7-8 Big Sandy, 5-6 Dunlap, no Waksachi.
Eastern Mono: 50 (1994 L Hinton)
600 (2000 A Yamamoto).
Nisenan language1 (1994 L Hinton).
Osage language5 (1991 M Krauss) 15,000 (1997 Carolyn Quintero).
Panamint language20 100 (1998 John E McLaughlin).
Pawnee language20 (1997 Parks) 2,500 (1997 Parks).
Plains Sign Talk
Central Pomo language2 to 5 (1997 Mithun) 4,766 (1997 Mithun).
Southeastern Pomo language5 (1994 L Hinton).
Southern Pomo language1 (1994 L Hinton).
Quapaw language34 (1990 census) 2,000 (1986 SIL).
Quileute language10 (1977 SIL) 300 (1977 SIL).
Straits Salish language
Serrano language1 (1994 Coker).
Snohomish language10 (1998 J Brooke) 800 (1977 SIL).
Tanacross language35 (1997 G Holton)Population includes 3 in the Healy Lake dialect, 32 in Mansfield-Ketchumstuck 120 (1997 G Holton).
Tanaina language75 (1997 M Krauss) 900 (1997 M Krauss).
Lower Tanana language30 (1995 M Krauss) 380 (1995 M Krauss).
Tolowa language4 to 5 (1994 Hinton) 1,000 (2000 Yamamoto).
Tübatulabal language6 900 (2000 Yamamoto).
Tuscarora language4 to 5 in the USA (1997 Mithun) 1,200 in the USA (1997 Mithun).
Tututni language10 (1962 Chafe).
Wasco-Wishram language69 (1990 census)7 monolinguals 750 possibly (1977 SIL).
Washo language10 (1998 J Brooke) 1,500 (2000 A Yamamoto).
Wichita language3 (2000 Brian Levy) 1,400 (2000 David S Rood).
Wintu language5 or 6 (1997 Shepherd) 2,244 (1997 Shepherd)
Yokutsan languages78 speakers of Northern Foothill Yokuts (1990 census) 2,500 (2000 A Yamamoto).
Yuchi language10 to 12 (1997 Mary Linn) 1,500 (1977 SIL).
Yurok language12 (2002 Goddard) 3,000 to 4,500 possibly (1982 SIL).

Notes

  1. Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. Memory of Peoples (3rd ed.). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. ISBN 978-92-3-104096-2. Retrieved 2015-04-11.
  2. "Northern America". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  3. "United States". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  4. "Canada". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  5. "Greenland". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  6. "Cataloguing Endangered Sign Languages". UNESCO.
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