Extinct language

An **extinct language** is a language that no longer is the first language or the second language of anyone.  The opposite of a modern language, an extinct language is not spoken anymore and so no longer develops or changes. The first recorded example in human history is Sumerian.

It is not to be confused with a dead language, such as Latin, which is still spoken as a second language.

## Recently-extinct languages

With last known speaker and/or date of death.
1. _Adai_: (late 19th century)
1. Akkala Sami: Marja Sergina (2003)
1. entire _Alsean family_
    1. _Alsea_: John Albert (1942)
    1. _Yaquina_: (1884)
1. _Apalachee_: (early 18th century)
1. _Atakapa_: (early 20th century)
1. _Atsugewi_: (1988)
1. _Beothuk_: Shanawdithit (a.k.a. "Nancy April") (1829)
1. entire _Catawban family_:
    1. _Catawba_: before 1960
    1. _Woccon_
1. _Cayuse_: (ca. 1930s)
1. _Chemakum_: (ca. 1940s)
1. _Chicomuceltec_: (late 20th century)
1. _Chimariko_: (ca. 1930s)
1. _Chitimacha_: Benjamin Paul (1934) & Delphine Ducloux (1940)
1. entire _Chumashan family_: Barbareño language was last to become extinct.
1. _Barbareño_: Mary Yee (1965)
1. _Ineseño_
1. _Island Chumash_
1. _Obispeño_
1. _Purisimeño_
1. _Ventureño_
1. _Coahuilteco_: (18th century)
1. _Cochimí_ (a Yuman-Cochimí language): (early 19th century)
1. entire _Comecrudan family_
    1. _Comecrudo_: recorded from children (Andrade, Emiterio, Joaquin, & others) of last speakers in 1886
    1. _Garza_: last recorded in 1828
    1. _Mamulique_: last recorded in 1828
1. entire _Coosan family_
    1. _Hanis_: Martha Johnson (1972)
    1. _Miluk_: Annie Miner Peterson (1939)
1. _Cornish_: (Dolly Pentreath, last fluent speaker, died 1777) (undergoing attempts at revival)
1. all _Costanoan_ languages (which make up a subfamily of the Utian language family): (ca. 1940s)
    1. _Karkin_
    1. _Mutsun_
    1. _Northern Costanoan_:
        1. Ramaytush
        1. Chochenyo
        1. Tamyen
        1. Awaswas
    1. _Rumsen_: last recorded speaker died 1939 in Monterey, California.
    1. _Chalon_
1. _Cotoname_: last recorded from Santos Cavázos and Emiterio in 1886
1. _Esselen_: report of few speakers left in 1833, extinct before end 19th century
1. _Gabrielino_ (an Uto-Aztecan language): elderly speakers last recorded in 1933
1. _Galice-Applegate_ (an Athabaskan language):
    1. _Galice dialect_: Hoxie Simmons (1963)
1. _Juaneño_ (an Uto-Aztecan language): last recorded in 1934
1. _Kakadu (Gagadju)_: Big Bill Neidjie (July 2002)
1. entire _Kalapuyan family_:
    1. _Central Kalapuya_:
        1. _Ahantchuyuk_, _Luckimute_, _Mary's River_, and _Lower McKenzie River dialects_: last speakers were about 6 persons who were all over 60 in 1937
        1. _Santiam dialect_: (ca. 1950s)
    1. _Northern Kalapuya_:
        1. _Tualatin dialect_: Louis Kenoyer (1937)
        1. _Yamhill dialect_: Louisa Selky (1915)
    1. _Yonkalla_: last recorded in 1937 from Laura Blackery Albertson who only partly remembered it.
1. _Kamassian_: (1989)
1. _Karankawa_: (1858)
1. _Kathlamet_ (a Chinookan language): (ca. 1930s)
1. _Kitanemuk_ (an Uto-Aztecan language): Marcelino Rivera, Isabella Gonzales, Refugia Duran (last recorded 1937)
1. _Kitsai_ (a Caddoan language): (ca. 1940)
1. _Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie_ (an Athabaskan language): children of the last speakers remembered a few words, recorded in 1935 & 1942
    1. _Clatskanie dialect_: father of Willie Andrew (ca. 1870)
    1. _Kwalhioqua dialect_: mother of Lizzie Johnson (1910)
1. _Lower Chinook_ (a Chinookan language): (ca. 1930s)
1. _Mahican_: last spoken in Wisconsin (ca. 1930s)
1. _Manx_: Ned Maddrell (December 1974) (but is being revived as a second language)
1. _Mattole-Bear River_ (an Athabaskan language):
    1. _Bear River dialect_: material from last elderly speaker recorded (ca. 1929)
    1. _Mattole dialect_: material recorded (ca. 1930)
1. _Mbabaram_: Albert Bennett (1972)
1. _Miami-Illinois_: (1989)
1. _Mochica_: ca. 1920s
1. _Mohegan_: Fidelia Fielding (1908)
1. _Molala_: Fred Yelkes (1958)
1. _Munichi_: Victoria Huancho Icahuate (late 1990s)
1. _Natchez_: Watt Sam & Nancy Raven (early 1930s)
1. _Negerhollands_: Alice Stevenson (1987)
1. _Nooksack_: Sindick Jimmy (1977)
1. _Northern Pomo_: (1994)
1. _Nottoway_ (an Iroquoian language): last recorded before 1836
1. _Pentlatch_ (a Salishan language): Joe Nimnim (1940)
1. _Pánobo_ (a Pano-Tacanan language): 1991
1. _Polabian_ (a Slavic language): (late 18th century)
1. _Salinan_: (ca. 1960)
1. entire _Shastan family_
    1. _Konomihu_
    1. _New River Shasta_
    1. _Okwanuchu_
    1. _Shasta_: 3 elderly speakers in 1980, extinct by 1990
1. _Siuslaw_: (ca. 1970s)
1. _Slovincian_ (a Slavic language): (20th century)
1. _Susquehannock_: all last speakers murdered in 1763
1. _Takelma_: Molly Orton (or Molly Orcutt) & Willie Simmons (both not fully fluent) last recorded in 1934
1. _Tasmanian_: (late 19th century)
1. _Tataviam_ (an Uto-Aztecan language): Juan José Fustero who remembered only a few words of his grandparents' language (recorded 1913)
1. _Teteté_ (an Tucanoan language)
1. _Tillamook_ (a Salishan language): (1970)
1. _Tonkawa_: 6 elderly people in 1931
1. _Tsetsaut_ (an Athabaskan language): last fluent speaker was elderly man recorded in 1894
1. _Tunica_: Sesostrie Youchigant (ca. mid 20th century)
1. _Ubykh_: Tevfik Esenç (October 1992)
1. all dialects of _Upper Chinook_ (a Chinookan language) are extinct, except for the Wasco-Wishram dialect. The _Clackamas dialect_ began extinct in the 1930s, other dialects have little documentation. (The Wasco-Wishram dialect is still spoken by 6 elders.)
1. _Upper Umpqua_: Wolverton Orton, last recorded in 1942
1. _Vegliot Dalmatian_: Tuone Udaina (Italian: Antonio Udina) (10 June 1898)
1. _Wappo_
1. _Wiyot_: Della Prince (1962)
1. _Yana_: Ishi (1916)
1. _Yola_ related to English (mid 19th c.)

## Related pages

- Endangered language
- Language death
- Language attrition

## Other websites

- The Dodo's Fate: How languages become extinct (via Internet Archive)
- Linguist List - List of Ancient and Extinct Languages &A list of ancient and extinct languages with temporary codes