List of last known speakers of languages

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Any language is determined to be an extinct language when the last native or fluent speaker of that language dies.

Out of the nearly 7,000 living languages, there are some 500 classified as nearly extinct because "only a few elderly speakers are still living".[1]

Last known speakers of languages

Last known speakers of languages
Name Born Died Language Taxonomy Notes
Chesten Marchantunknown1676Cornish (last monoglot speaker)Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Brittonic[notes 1]
Margaret McMurrayunknown1760Galwegian dialect, Scottish GaelicIndo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Goidelic – Scottish Gaelic
Dolly Pentreathunknown1777Cornish (traditionally known as the last fluent native speaker; disputed)[2]Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Brittonic[notes 2]
Shanawdithitc. 18011829Beothukunclassified
Walter Sutherlandunknownc. 1850NornIndo-European – Germanic – North Germanic – West Scandinavian
Juana Mariaunknown1853NicoleñoUto-Aztecan – Northern – Takic (unclassified beyond the Takic family)
Nikonhac. 17651871TuteloSiouan – Western Siouan – Ohio Valley Siouan – Virginia Siouan[notes 3]
Truganinic. 18121876an unidentified Tasmanian languageunknown; there were multiple language families in Tasmania[notes 4]
John Davey18121891Cornish (some knowledge)Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Brittonic[notes 5]
Tuone Udaina18231898DalmatianIndo-European – Italic – Romance – Italo-Dalmatian
Fanny Cochrane Smith18341905an unidentified Tasmanian languageunknown; there were multiple language families in Tasmania[notes 6]
Fidelia Fielding18271908Mohegan-PequotAlgic – Algonquian – Eastern Algonquian
Santu Toney1835c. 1910Beothuk (some knowledge)unclassified[notes 7]
John Mann1834c. 1914Cornish (extent of proficiency unclear)Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Brittonic[notes 8]
Ishic. 18601916Yanalanguage isolate[notes 9]
Sally Nobleunknown1922Chimarikolanguage isolate
Ascencion Solorsanounknown1930MutsunYok-Utian – Utian – Ohlone/Costanoan – Southern[5]
Frances Johnsonunknown1934Takelmalanguage isolate
Trruúlmaniunknown1934PuelcheChon
Watt Sam and Nancy Ravenunknownlate 1930sNatchezlanguage isolate
Isabel Meadows18461939RumsenYok-Utian – Utian – Ohlone/Costanoan – Southern
Delphine Decloux18711940Chitimachalanguage isolate
Sesostrie Youchigantunknown1940sTunicalanguage isolate
James Naligc. 1870s1954UtahaAustronesian – Malayo-Polynesian – Southern Oceanic – Oceanic[6]
Annie O'Hanlon unknown 1960 Leinster dialect, Irish Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Goidelic – Irish
Mary Yee18971965BarbareñoChumashan – Southern – Central[notes 10]
Manfri Woodunknown1968Welsh RomaniIndo-European – Romani – Northern Romani[7]
Ned Maddrell18771974ManxIndo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Goidelic[notes 11]
Ángela Loijc. 19001974Selk’nam[notes 12]Chon
Armand Lunel18921977Shuadit (Jewish dialect of Occitan)Indo-European – Italic – Romance – Western – Ibero-Romance – Occitan
Alf Palmerc. 18911981WarrunguPama-Nyungan – Maric
Séamus Bhriain Mac Amhlaig unknown 1983 Antrim dialect, Irish Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Goidelic – Irish
Jean Bainunknown1984Deeside dialect, Scottish GaelicIndo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Goidelic – Scottish Gaelic
Jack Butler19011986Jiwarli dialect, ManthartaPama-Nyungan – Kanyara–Mantharta – Mantharta
Roscinda Nolasquez18921987CupeñoUto-Aztecan – Northern – Takic – Cupan – Cahuilla-Cupeño
Klavdiya Plotnikovac. 18951989KamassianUralic – Samoyedic – Core Samoyedic – Kamas–Selkup
Morndi Munrounknown1990sUnggumi dialect, WorrorraWorrorran – Western – Worrorra
Fidela Bernat18981991Roncalese (Erronkarriko) dialect, BasqueBasque is a language isolate
Tevfik Esenç19041992UbykhNorthwest Caucasian
Take Asaic. 19011994Sakhalin AinuAinu
Algy Patersonunknown1995MartuthuniraPama-Nyungan – Ngayarta
Truman Washington Dailey18981996Otoe-Missouria dialect, ChiwereSiouan – Western Siouan – Mississippi Valley – Chiwere–Winnebago – Chiwere
Vyieunknown1997Sirenik EskimoEskimo-Aleut – Eskimo – Yupik?
Carmel Charles19121999NyulnyulNyulnyulan – Western
Maurice Tabiunknown2000SowaAustronesian – Malayo-Polynesian – Oceanic[8]
Abegazc. 1920after 2001MesmesWest Gurage - Ethiopian Semitic language[9] [10]
Big Bill Neidjiec. 19202002GaagudjuArnhem
Edward Leonard Thompson19042002Unami LenapeAlgonquian – Eastern Algonquian[notes 13]
Yang Huanyic. 19092004Nüshu script
Marie Smith Jones19182008EyakNa-Dené – Athabascan-Eyak
Ms. Borounknown2009Aka-KoraGreat Andamanese – Northern
William Rozariounknown2010Cochin Indo-Portuguese creolePortuguese Creole – Indo-Portuguese Creoles
Pan Jin-yu19142010PazehAustronesian – Northwest Formosan
Boa Sr.c. 19252010Aka-BoGreat Andamanese – Northern
Bobby Hogg19202012Cromarty fisher dialect, ScotsIndo-European – Germanic – West Germanic – Anglo-Frisian – Anglic
Grizelda Kristiņa19102013LivonianUralic – Finnic[notes 14]
Hazel Sampson19112014KlallamNorth Straits Salishan Languages – Salishan Languages[notes 15]
Doris McLemore19272016WichitaCaddoan – Northern[11]
Edwin Benson19312016MandanSiouan – Western Siouan[12]
Charlie Munguldaunknown2016AmurdagIwaidjan[13][14]
Tommy George19282016Awu LayaPama–Nyungan – Paman – Thaypan – Kuku-Thaypan – Awu Laya[15]
Cristina CalderónMay 24, 1928livingYaghanlanguage isolate
Verdena ParkerunknownlivingHupaNa-Dené – Athabaskan-Eyak – Athabaskan – Pacific Coast Athabaskan[16][17][notes 16]
Gyani Maiyi Senc. 1937livingKusundalanguage isolate[18] [notes 17]
Marie Wilcox1933livingWukchumniYok-Utian – Yokutsan – General Yokuts – Nim – Tule-Kaweah[19]
Sixto Muñozc. 1933livingTiniguaTiniguan languages[20]
Elizabeth Phillips c. 1939 living Halq'emeyelem (Upriver Halkomelem Salishan - Coast Salish - Central - Halkomelem - Halq'emeyelem [21]
Jessie Ross unknown living East Sutherland Gaelic Indo-European – Celtic – Insular Celtic – Goidelic – Scottish Gaelic [22]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Believed to have been the last monoglot Cornish speaker, as opposed to other speakers such as Dolly Pentreath who could also speak English. See Last speaker of the Cornish language.
  2. ↑ Possibly the last fluent native speaker of the Cornish language, was monoglot until her twenties. See Last speaker of the Cornish language.
  3. ↑ Last full-blooded speaker, though partial knowledge of this language continued among mixed Cayuga-Tutelo descendants for some time.
  4. ↑ Considered to be the last full-blood speaker of a Tasmanian language;[3] however, Fanny Cochrane Smith, who spoke one of the Tasmanian languages, outlived her.
  5. ↑ A Cornish farmer who was one of the last people with some traditional knowledge of the Cornish language.[4] See Last speaker of the Cornish language.
  6. ↑ Considered to be the last fluent speaker of a Tasmanian language.
  7. ↑ Recorded a song in Beothuk in 1910.
  8. ↑ The last attested native Cornish language speaker, part of a group of children who conversed in Cornish, interviewed in 1914 at the age of 80.[2] See Last speaker of the Cornish language.
  9. ↑ Last member of the Yahi, the last surviving group of the Yana people who spoke Yana
  10. ↑ Last attested speaker of a Chumashan language
  11. ↑ Last surviving native speaker; the language has since been revived.
  12. ↑ The last full-blooded Selknam Indian, but some have suggested certain people remained fluent in the languages until the 1980s.
  13. ↑ Brother of Lenape traditionalist and language preservation activist Nora Thompson Dean
  14. ↑ Last surviving native speaker; some children still learn it as a second language.
  15. ↑ Last surviving native speaker; it is being taught as a second language on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.
  16. ↑ Last fluent speaker; several non-fluent speakers remain
  17. ↑ Last fluent native speaker; several non-fluent speakers remain

References

  1. ↑ Endangered languages Ethnologue: Languages of the World. (Archived 6 July 2012 at WebCite)
  2. 1 2 "Legend of Dolly Pentreath outlived her native tongue". This is Cornwall. 4 August 2011. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Field linguistics: a beginner's guide.
  4. ↑ De Bruxelles, Simon (21 May 2008). "After centuries, Cornish agree how to speak their language". The Times.
  5. ↑ Archived 4 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "What happened to Erromango's languages?" by Terry Crowley, The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 106:33-64, No. 1 (1997)
  7. ↑ Kenrick, Donald (2010). The A to Z of the Gypsies (Romanies). Toronto: Scarecrow Press. p. 289. ISBN 9780810875616.
  8. ↑ Gray (2013), The Languages of Pentecost Island
  9. ↑ Ahland, Michael Bryan. (2010). Language death in Mesmes. Dallas: SIL International and the University of Texas at Arlington.
  10. ↑ Bustorf, Dirk. (2007). "Mäsmäs”, in: Siegbert Uhlig (ed.): Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 3: D-Ha, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 838-39.
  11. ↑ "The Last Living Speaker of Wichita : NPR" (Audio interview).
  12. ↑ Collins, Bob (December 14, 2016). "Last fluent speaker of Mandan dies". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Scientists Race Around World to Save Dying Languages". Fox News. Associated Press. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "Language lost with the passing of 'great elder' Tommy George". The Australian. 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  16. ↑ Evans, Nicholas (2010). Dying words: endangered languages and what they have to tell us. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-23305-3.
  17. ↑ Newberry, Daniel. "Rescuing Languages From Extinction: The Experience of the Hoopa Valley, Karuk, and Yurok Tribes". Jefferson Public Radio. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  18. ↑ "Obscure language isolate will die with this woman". The Hot Word - Hot & Trending Words Daily Blog at Dictionary.com. 2012-06-03. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  19. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/19/opinion/who-speaks-wukchumni.html
  20. ↑ Tobal, Juan Pablo (21 February 2013). "El último Tinígua" (in Spanish). La Voz.
  21. ↑ "Honorary degree for B.C. elder's efforts to keep her Indigenous language alive". nationalpost.com. June 6, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Wilma Ros, Eurabol, air bàsachadh". BBC Naidheachdan. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
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