List of endangered languages in Asia
Language Endangerment Status Other categories Related topics
UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger categories
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native speakers, it becomes a dead language . A language may be endangered in one area but show signs of revitalisation in another, as with the Irish language .
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines five levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct":[ 1]
Vulnerable - "most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains (e.g., home)"
Definitely endangered - "children no longer learn the language as mother tongue in the home"
Severely endangered - "language is spoken by grandparents and older generations; while the parent generation may understand it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves"
Critically endangered - "the youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently"
Extinct - "there are no speakers left; included in the Atlas if presumably extinct since the 1950s"
The list below includes the findings from the third edition of Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010; formerly the Red Book of Endangered Languages ), as well as the online edition of the aforementioned publication, both published by UNESCO.[ 2]
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Burma (Myanmar)
Cambodia
China
(Note: Taiwan area is not included in the list above. Related information is in section Taiwan.)
Cyprus
East Timor
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iran
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Ashtiani language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
atn
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Armenia, Iraq, Syria, Turkey
aii, cld
Bashkardi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
bsg
Dzhidi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
jpr
Gazi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
gzi
Hawrami language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq
bjm, hac, sdb, sdf
Khalaj language
Vulnerable[ 1]
klj
Khorasani Turkic language
Vulnerable[ 1]
kmz
Khunsari language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
kfm
Koroshi language
Critically endangered[ 1]
ktl
Lari language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
lrl, fay
Mandaic language
Critically endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq
mid
Natanzi language
Severely endangered[ 1]
ntz
Nayini language
Severely endangered[ 1]
nyq
Semnani language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
lsa, sgr, smy, sqo
Senaya language
Critically endangered[ 1]
syn
Sivandi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
siy, faz
Soi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
soi
Talysh language
Vulnerable[ 1]
Also spoken in: Azerbaijan
tly
Tati language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
avd, esh, goz, hrz, kgn, okh, rat, rdb, shm, tks, tov, vmh, xkj, xkc, xkp
Vafsi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
vaf
Zoroastrian Dari language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
gbz
Iraq
Iraq
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Adyge language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, Turkey
ady
Hawrami language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iran
bjm, hac, sdb, sdf
Mandaic language
Critically endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iran
mid
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Armenia, Iran, Syria, Turkey
aii, cld
Western Armenian language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Lebanon, Syria
hye
Israel
Israel
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Adyge language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, Turkey
ady
Barzani Jewish Neo-Aramaic language
Critically endangered[ 1]
bjf
Domari language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria
rmt
Hulaula language Hulaulá language
Severely endangered[ 1]
huy
Judeo-Berber language
Severely endangered[ 1]
jbe
Judezmo language
Severely endangered[ 1]
lad
Juhuri language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
jdt
Lishan Didan language
Severely endangered[ 1]
trg
Lishana Deni language
Severely endangered[ 1]
lsd
Lishanid Noshan language
Severely endangered[ 1]
aij
Moroccan Judeo-Arabic language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
aju
Judeo-Tunisian Arabic language
Severely endangered[ 1]
ajt
Yiddish language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
ydd
Japan
Jordan
Jordan
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Adyge language
Vulnerable[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq, Israel, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, Turkey
ady
Domari language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria
rmt
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Dungan language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Kyrgyzstan
dng
Korea
Korea
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Jeju language
Critically endangered[ 1]
jje
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Dungan language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Kazakhstan
dng
Oyrat language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: China, Mongolia
xal
Laos
Lebanon
Lebanon
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Domari language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Syria
rmt
Western Armenian language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq, Syria
hye
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Palestine
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Domari language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria
rmt
Philippines
Russia
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Vedda language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
may be extinct
ved
Syria
Syria
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Adyge language
Vulnerable[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Turkey
ady
Domari language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine
rmt
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey
aii, cld
Turoyo language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Turkey
tru
Western Armenian language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq, Lebanon
hye
Western Neo-Aramaic language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
amw
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkey
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Abaza language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Russia
abq
Abkhaz language
Vulnerable[ 1]
Also spoken in: Georgia, Russia
abk
Adyghe language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Syria
ady
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria
aii, cld
Gagauz language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Greece, Macedonia
bgx, gag
Hértevin language
Critically endangered[ 1]
hrt
Homshetsma language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
hye
Judezmo language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Morocco, Romania, Serbia
lad
Kabard-Cherkes language
Vulnerable[ 1]
Also spoken in: Russia
kbd
Laz language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Georgia
lzz
Pontic Greek language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Russia, Ukraine
pnt
Romani language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Albania, Germany, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro
rmc, rmf, rml, rmn, rmo, rmw, rmy
Turoyo language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Syria
tru
Western Armenian language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
hye
Zazaki language
Vulnerable[ 1]
zza
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Trukhmen language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Russia
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Vietnam
Language
Status
Comments
ISO 639-3
Arem language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
aem
Baheng language
Vulnerable[ 1]
pha
Brao language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Cambodia, Laos
brb
Chrau language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
crw
Chru language
Vulnerable[ 1]
cje
Cốông language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
cnc
Cosung language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
lkc
Eastern Cham language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
cjm
En language
Critically endangered[ 1]
enc
Green Gelao language
Critically endangered[ 1]
giq
Hung language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
hnu
O'du language
Critically endangered[ 1]
tyh
Kháng language
Severely endangered.[ 1] Compare to Quang Lam language , Kháng language
kjm
Lachi language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
lwh
Laghuu language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
lgh
Laha language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
lha
Mang language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
zng
May language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
scb
Mo'ang language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Nguon language
Vulnerable[ 1]
nuo
Nung Ven language
Vulnerable[ 1]
enc
Phula language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
ypa, ypg, ypo, yip, ypn, yhl, ypb, phh, ypm, ypp, yph, ypz
Red Gelao language
Critically endangered[ 1]
gir
Ruc language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
scb
Sach language
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
scb
Sila language (Laos)
Definitely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
slt
Tai Daeng language
Vulnerable[ 1]
Also spoken in: Laos
tyr
White Gelao language
Severely endangered[ 1]
Also spoken in: China
giw
Yemen
Notes