List of endangered languages in Africa

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 people, it becomes an extinct language. UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct": Vulnerable Definitely endangered Severely endangered Critically endangered

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent. At about 30.2 million km2 (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.Sayre, April Pulley. (1999) Africa, Twenty-First Century Books. . With about 922 million people (as of 2005)"World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision" United Nations (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population division) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 16.1% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There are 64 countries, including Madagascar and all the island groups.

Algeria

+AlgeriaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Judezmo languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Morocco, Romania, Turkey, SerbialadKorandje languageSeverely endangered kcyShenwa languageVulnerable cnuTagargrent languageSeverely endangered ouaTamahaq languageVulnerable thvTamazight languageCritically endangered(Arzew) rifTamzabit languageVulnerableGhardaïamzbTasnusit languageSeverely endangeredAmazigh of Aït Snouss, in Tlemcen Tayurayt languageVulnerable  Taznatit languageSeverely endangered grrTidikelt languageCritically endangered tiaTugurt languageSeverely endangered tjoZenatiya languageCritically endangered  

Angola

+AngolaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Bolo languageDefinitely endangered blv

Benin

+BeninLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Tchumbuli languageCritically endangered bga

Botswana

+BotswanaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Danisi languageCritically endangered shgKua languageDefinitely endangered tyuTaa languageDefinitely endangered nmnTs'èxa languageDefinitely endangered  Yeyi languageDefinitely endangered yeyGui languageVulnerable gwjXaise languageCritically endangered shgǁAni languageDefinitely endangered hnhǁGana languageVulnerable gnkǂHoa languageCritically endangered huc

Burkina Faso

+Burkina FasoLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Pana languageDefinitely endangered png

Cameroon

+CameroonLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Akum languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: NigeriaakuBakole languageCritically endangered kmeBaldemu languageCritically endangered bdnBati languageSeverely endangered btcBeezen languageSeverely endangered bnzBubia languageSeverely endangered bbxBung languageCritically endangered bqdBusuu languageCritically endangered bjuCambap languageCritically endangered twnDimbong languageCritically endangered diiEman languageSeverely endangered emnGyele languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Equatorial GuineagyiHijuk languageCritically endangered hijHya languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: NigeriahyaIsu language LanguageSeverely endangered szvIyive languageSeverely endangered uivKendem languageSeverely endangered kvmKuk languageDefinitely endangered kfmKung languageSeverely endangered kflMajera languageCritically endangered xmjMaslam languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: ChadmsvMono language (Cameroon)Critically endangered mnrNdai languageCritically endangered gkeNjerep languageCritically endangered  Nubaca languageSeverely endangered bafSomyev languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: NigeriakgtTuotomb languageSeverely endangered ttfYasa languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Equatorial GuineaykoZina (Jina) LanguageSeverely endangeredISO 639-3 Jia

Central African Republic

+Central African RepublicLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Birri languageCritically endangered bvqGeme languageCritically endangered geqNgombe languageDefinitely endangered nmjUkhwejo languageSeverely endangered ukhYulu languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudanyul

Chad

+ChadLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Besme languageSeverely endangered besBoor languageCritically endangered bvfFania languageSeverely endangered fniFongoro languageSeverely endangered fgrGadang languageDefinitely endangered gdkGoundo languageCritically endangered goyJaya languageSeverely endangered jyyJonkor Bourmataguil languageSeverely endangered jeuKarang languageVulnerable kthKendeje languageDefinitely endangered klfKoke languageSeverely endangered kouKujarge languageDefinitely endangered vkjKulfa languageDefinitely endangered kxjLaal languageCritically endangered gdmMabiri languageCritically endangered mujMambai languageSeverely endangered mcsMaslam languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: CameroonmsvMassalat languageCritically endangered mdgMbara languageSeverely endangered mpkMiltu languageCritically endangered mljNoy languageCritically endangered noySaba languageDefinitely endangered saaSarwa languageDefinitely endangered swyTamki languageCritically endangered taxToram languageSeverely endangered trjUbi languageSeverely endangered ubiZirenkel languageDefinitely endangered zrn

Democratic Republic of the Congo

+Democratic Republic of the CongoLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Beeke languageSeverely endangered bkfKari languageSeverely endangered kbjNgbinda languageCritically endangered nbdYulu languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: Central African Republic, Sudanyul

Egypt

+EgyptLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Domari languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, SyriarmtSiwi languageDefinitely endangered siz

Equatorial Guinea

+Equatorial GuineaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Benga languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: GabonbngGyele languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: CameroongyiYasa languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Cameroonyko

Eritrea

+EritreaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Dahaalik languageCritically endangered  

Ethiopia

+EthiopiaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3'Ongota languageCritically endangered bxeAnfillo languageCritically endangered myoArbore languageDefinitely endangered arvArgobba languageCritically endangered agjBambassi languageDefinitely endangered myfBayso languageDefinitely endangered bswBussa languageVulnerable doxChara languageVulnerable craDimme languageVulnerable dimGats'ama - Ganjule - Harro languageDefinitely endangered kcxHozo languageDefinitely endangered hozK'emant languageSeverely endangered ahgKaro languageCritically endangered kxhKomo languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: SudanxomKwama languageVulnerable kmqKwegu languageCritically endangered xwgMursi languageVulnerable muzNayi languageVulnerable nozOpuuo languageCritically endangered lgnOyda languageVulnerable oydShabo languageSeverely endangered sbfTsamay languageDefinitely endangered tsbYem languageVulnerable jnjZay languageSeverely endangered zwa

Gabon

+GabonLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Benga languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Equatorial GuineabngBwisi languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: CongobwzKaande languageSeverely endangered kbsMahongwe languageSeverely endangered mhbSake languageSeverely endangered sakSighu languageSeverely endangered sxeTchitchege languageDefinitely endangered tckVumbu languageDefinitely endangered vum

Ghana

+GhanaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Animere languageCritically endangered anfKamara languageDefinitely endangered jmrKonni languageVulnerable kmaTafi languageVulnerable tcdTuwuli languageVulnerable bov

Guinea

+GuineaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Badiaranke languageSeverely endangered pbpBaga Manduri languageDefinitely endangered bmbBaga Mboteni languageCritically endangered bgmBaga Sitemu languageSeverely endangered bspBaga Pokur languageDefinitely endangered bcgMani languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: Sierra LeonebuyNalu languageDefinitely endangered naj

Guinea-Bissau

+Guinea-BissauLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Cobiana languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: SenegalkcjEdiamat languageVulnerable ejaKasanga languageCritically endangered ccj

Kenya

+KenyaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Bong'om languageDefinitely endangered spyBoni languageDefinitely endangered bobBurji languageVulnerable bjiDahalo languageSeverely endangered dalOmotik languageCritically endangered omtSuba languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: Tanzaniasxb, ssc

Lesotho

+LesothoLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Phuthi languageDefinitely endangered ssw

Libya

+LibyaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Awjila languageSeverely endangered aujDomari languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, SyriarmtGhadames languageVulnerable ghaNafusi languageSeverely endangered jbnTamahaq languageDefinitely endangered thv

Mali

+MaliLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Banka languageDefinitely endangered bxwTamaceq languageDefinitely endangered taq

Mauritania

+MauritaniaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Imeraguen languageDefinitely endangered imeNemadi languageCritically endangered  Zenaga languageSeverely endangered zen

Morocco

+MoroccoLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Figuig languageVulnerable  Ghomara languageCritically endangered ghoJudezmo languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, SerbialadMoroccan Judeo-Arabic languageSeverely endangered ajuSanhaja of Srair languageCritically endangered sjsTamazight languageDefinitely endangered(Beni Iznassen) rif

Namibia

+NamibiaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Khwe languageDefinitely endangered xuu

Niger

+NigerLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Tamajeq languageVulnerable thzTetserret languageSeverely endangered  

Nigeria

+NigeriaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Akum languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: CameroonakuBade languageVulnerable bdeBakpinka languageCritically endangered bbsDefaka languageCritically endangered afnDuguza languageDefinitely endangered dzaDulbu languageCritically endangered dboFyem languageSeverely endangered pymGeji clusterSeverely endangered gjiGera languageVulnerable gewGura languageSeverely endangered gvmGurdu-Mbaaru languageSeverely endangered grdGyem languageCritically endangered gyeHya languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: CameroonhyaIlue languageCritically endangered ilvJilbe languageCritically endangered jieKiong languageCritically endangered kkmKona languageSeverely endangered juoKudu-Camo languageCritically endangered kovLuri languageCritically endangered lddMvanip languageCritically endangered mcjNdunda languageSeverely endangered nuhNgwaba languageSeverely endangered ngwPolci clusterDefinitely endangered pljReshe languageVulnerable resSambe languageCritically endangered  Somyev languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: CameroonkgtYangkam languageCritically endangered bsx

Senegal

+SenegalLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Bainouk-Gunyaamolo languageVulnerable bczBainouk-Samik languageSeverely endangered bcbBandial languageVulnerable bqjBassari languageVulnerable bscBayot languageVulnerable bdaCobiana languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: Guinea-BissaukcjGusilay languageVulnerable gslJola-Kassa languageVulnerable cskKarone languageVulnerable krxKwatay languageSeverely endangered cwtMancagne languageVulnerable knfMenik languageDefinitely endangered tnrMlomp languageCritically endangered mloNoon languageVulnerable snfPaloor languageVulnerable fap

Sierra Leone

+Sierra LeoneLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Bom languageSeverely endangered bmfKim languageCritically endangered krmMani languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: Guineabuy

South Africa

+South AfricaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Korana languageCritically endangered kqzNǀuu languageCritically endangered nghXiri languageCritically endangered xii

Sudan

Tanzania