We often focus on the world’s most widely used languages. But which ones are losing the race against time?

Many people wonder which language is spoken by the most people, but which one has the fewest speakers?

As has been widely reported in the mainstream press, Ayapaneco, an indigenous language based in Mexico, is now “spoken” by only two people. There’s just one problem: they aren’t really on speaking terms.

Although the two remaining speakers don’t really agree on the depth of their disaccord, one thing is certain: when they go, their language will go with them – making it one of the world’s most endangered languages.

A recent article published in the Guardian tells the story of the race to save, or at least record, Ayapaneco, and also gives a list of other languages facing the same fate.

For example, Ter Sami is also used by only two speakers on the Kola peninsula in Northwest Russia, and in Queensland, Australia, just four elderly Aboriginals speak Kayardild.

These are extreme examples, but in fact the majority of the world’s languages are technically endangered.

The most common definition of an endangered language, advanced by linguist Michael Krauss, is one that children will likely not be speaking in 100 years – and between 60 to 80% of the world’s languages are considered as part of this category.

Betty Carlson

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