List of extinct languages of Africa

This article is a list of languages and dialects that have no native speakers, no spoken descendants, and that diverged from their parent language in Africa. There are 75 languages listed.

List Language/dialectFamilyDate of extinctionRegionEthnic group(s)African RomanceIndo-European1400s ADRoman AfricaRoman AfricansAjawaAfro-Asiatic1920–1940sBauchi StateNigeriansAkponduAfro-Asiaticafter 2005Blench, Roger M. 2012. Akpondu, Nigbo, Bəbər and Nisam: moribund or extinct languages of central Nigeria Babur.Kaduna StatePeople from AkponduAsaAfro-Asiaticafter 1999TanzaniaAsaAuyokawaAtlantic–Congoafter 1924Jigawa StateNigeriansBasa-GumnaAtlantic–Congo1987ChanchagaNigeriansBeigoEastern Sudanic?1960sDarfurBeigo speakersBerakouCentral Sudanic1950sChadBabalia peopleBertiSaharan1990sSouth DarfurBerti peopleBikyaAtlantic–Congo1987CameroonBikya speakersBirgidEastern Sudanic1970sNorth DarfurBirgid speakersBishuoAtlantic–CongoCameroonBishuo speakersBoroAtlantic–Congo?GhanaBoro speakersBoshaAfro-AsiaticKingdom of GaroOromo peopleBungAtlantic–Congo1970sAdamawaBung speakersBusuuNiger–Congo (Probable)late 2000sBusuu at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Native to CameroonBusuu speakersCopticAfro-Asiatic1600sEgyptCopts DuliAtlantic–Congo1970–1990snorthern CameroonDuli speakersEl MoloAfro-Asiatic1999sLake TurkanaEl Molo peopleEsumaAtlantic–Congo1800sAssinie-MafiaPeople of the Ivory CoastEgyptianAfro-Asiatic400s ADAncient EgyptEgyptiansGafatAfro-Asiaticafter 1947EthiopiaGafat peopleGamo-NingiAtlantic–Congo1980sBauchi StateNigeriansGbinMande1900sBondoukouGbin speakersGeʽezAfro-Asiatic2000Eritrea and EthiopiaEthiopians and Eritreans GuancheAfro-Asiatic?1500sCanary IslandsGuanchesGuleKoman?after 1932Evans-Pritchard, 'Ethnological observations in Dar Fung', Sudan Notes and Records 15 (1932: 51–52)SudanGule speakersHomaAtlantic–Congo1975South SudanHoma speakersHoroCentral Sudanic1940–1960sChadHoro speakersItalian EritreanItalian based PidginEritreaItalians and EritreansJalaaLanguage isolate1992NigeriaJalabeKasabeAtlantic–Congo5 November 1995CameroonKasabe peopleKehekAfro-Asiatic1st millennium BCAncient LibyaKehek LibyansKpatiAtlantic–Congo1971Taraba StateNigeriansKubiAfro-Asiatic1995Bauchi StateNigeriansKwadiKhoe–Kwadi1981AngolaKwadi speakersKwʼadzaAfro-Asiatic1980sTanzaniaKwʼadza speakersLisan al-GharbiAfro-Asiatic1300–1500sJ. Aguadé, Peuplement et arabisation au Maghreb occidental: dialectologie et histoire (Casa de Velázquez, 1998), p.17MoroccoBerbersLower NossobTuu2005South Africa and BotswanaLower Nossob speakersLungNiger–Congo (Probable)early 20th centuryPierpaolo Di Carlo & Jeff Good. 2012. What are we trying to preserve?: Diversity, change, and ideology at the edge of the Cameroonian GrassfieldsCameroonLung speakersMamluk-KipchakTurkicafter 1516EgyptMamlukMawaunclassifiedNigeriaNigeriansMeroiticunclassified300s ADKingdom of KushMeroitic peopleMesmesAfro-Asiatic2000Kingdom of KushMesmesMittuCentral Sudanic1940sSouth SudanMorokodo and MadiMozarabicIndo-European1400sNorth AfricaMozarabsMuskumChadic1981ChadMuskum speakersNagumiAtlantic–Congoafter 1977Cameroon's Northern regionNagumi peopleNgasaAfro-Asiatic?1950sTanzaniaNgasaNgbeeAtlantic–Congo1960sDemocratic Republic of the CongoMangbeleNhlangwini Niger–Congo?South AfricaNhlangwini/NtlangwiniNumidianAfro-Asiatic300s ADNumidiaNumidiansPalmyrene AramaicAfro-Asiaticafter 274 ADPalmyrene EmpirePalmyrenesPunicAfro-Asiatic600s ADCarthageCarthaginiansSabaicAfro-Asiatic600s ADHorn of AfricaSabaeansSabirRomance-based Pidgin1800sMediterranean BasinMedieval traders and CrusadersSenedAfro-Asiatic1990TunisiaSpeakers in SenedSeroaTuu1870sSouth AfricaSeroa speakersSingaAtlantic–CongoRusinga IslandSinga speakersSocotra SwahiliAfro-Asiaticby 2009Socotra Soqotri peopleSoknaAfro-AsiaticFezzanSokna speakersTeshenawaAfro-AsiaticJigawa StateNigeriansTogoyoUbangian1985South SudanTogoyo peopleTonjonMandesince the 1950sVallée du Bandama DistrictDjiminiToronaAtlantic–CongoJanuary 2014South KordofanTorona peopleVandalicIndo-European400s ADNorth AfricaVandalsVazimbaAustronesianMadagascarVazimbaWeytounclassifiedLake TanaWeyto casteǀXamTuu1910sSouth Africa and LesothoǀXam speakersǁKāTuulate 20th centurySouth AfricaǁKā speakersǁXegwiTuu1988Lake ChrissieǁXegwiǃGãǃneTuuafter 1931South Africa, near TsoloǃGãǃne speakersǂUngkueTuumid 20th centurySouth Africa, Vaal RiverǂUngkue speakersYeniAtlantic–CongoCameroonYeni speakersZumayaAfro-Asiaticby 2006CameroonZumaya speakers

See also Languages of Africa List of endangered languages in Africa Language endangerment and extinction in Africa

Notes These languages can still be spoken today, but are only used liturgically.

References