It’s Good to Know: Disappearing Languages

At least one of the world’s estimated 6,000 languages goes extinct every two weeks. Native speakers either die off or assimilate into larger cultures over several generations. Most of the disappearing languages are spoken by very few (in some cases, just one person) – usually tribal people who are moving into the modern world. Extinction hotspots include the Pacific Northwest, Oklahoma (home of the highest density of indigenous languages in the U.S.), several parts of South America, northern Australia, and eastern Siberia.

(Source: National Geographic)

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