Currently more than 7,000 languages are spoken in the world but UNESCO predicts that by the end of the 21st century more than half will have disappeared. We tell you which are the 10 languages that are closest to extinct today.
A language is much more than a set of words and meanings; Languages are loaded with invaluable culture. However, no matter how much symbolic power they have, there are many languages in danger of extinction.
Today around 7,000 languages are spoken around the world, but if we ask how many languages exist at the end of this century the answer will be somewhat different.
UNESCO predicts that by the end of the 21st century more than half of the languages spoken today will have disappeared, and there are some that are already about to be lost forever.
We leave you the 10 languages that will disappear first, revealed by Readers Digest. Sadly these languages are hanging by a thread.
Resígaro: Currently there is only one person in the world who speaks resígaro, one of the 43 languages of the Amazon. This is Pablo Andrade Ocagane and until 2016 he spoke the language with his sister Rosa, the year in which she was murdered. The brothers spoke the indigenous language in honor of their mother.
Chulym: This language belongs to a Russian ethnic group and in 2010 they only registered 44 people who spoke the language, who call themselves Ös.
Patwin: In 2011 there was only one native person who spoke Patwin in California. However, since then locals have tried to revive this language in danger of extinction and some young people are teaching from an early age.
Ainu: There are between 2 and 15 people who speak Ainu, an indigenous language that can only be heard on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Its disappearance is due in large part to government prohibitions, which prevented the use of the language and customs of the natives of this island.
Chamicuro: The chamicuro, spoken in Peru, was about to disappear in 2004 when only two people spoke the language. However, in 2008 there were 8 people who spoke chamicuro.
Vod: The 8 people who still speak this language are in Estonia and Russia. Its use plummeted between 2010 and 2017, from 68 speakers to 8.
Learning these languages will be worth it, despite its difficulty
Machaj Juyay: This language, more than being in danger of extinction, is a secret language. Coming from Bolivian villages, the tradition is for parents to teach it to their children. It is difficult to know exactly how many people speak macaj yuyay currently, given the privacy of the custom, but it is estimated to be around 200.
Jedek: Until last year, linguists did not know this spoken language in Malaysia. Currently around 280 people speak this mysterious language.
Dunser: This language can be heard at weddings on Papua Island, Indonesia, but in 2011 only 3 people spoke the language fluently. Two of them were about to lose their lives due to natural disasters, putting their survival even more in danger.
Ngan'gikurunggurr: In 2016, only 26 people who spoke this indigenous language used remotely in Australia registered, and it is likely that its convoluted name does not help keep it alive.