List of endangered languages in Asia

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": 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.

Afghanistan

+AfghanistanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Ashkun languageDefinitely endangered askBrahui languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: PakistanbrhCentral Asian Arabic languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Uzbekistan, Tajikistanabh, auzGambiri language (Tregami language)Severely endangered trmGawar-Bati languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: PakistangwtKati languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Pakistanbsh, xviMoghol languageCritically endangered mhjMunji languageSeverely endangered mnjNingalami languageSeverely endangered nliOrmuri languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: PakistanoruParachi languageDefinitely endangered prcParya languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Uzbekistan, TajikistanpaqPashayi languageVulnerable aee, glh, psh, psiPrasun languageWasi-wari languageDefinitely endangered prnRushani languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: TajikistansghSanglechi languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: TajikistansglSavi languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: PakistansdgShughni languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: TajikistansghShumashti languageSeverely endangered stsTirahi languageCritically endangered traWaigali languageDefinitely endangered wbkWakhi languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: China, Pakistan, TajikistanwblWotapuri-Katarqalai languageDefinitely endangered wsv

Armenia

+ArmeniaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Assyrian Neo-Aramaic languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Iran, Iraq, Syria, TurkeyaiiPontic Greek languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Georgia, Greece, Russia, Turkey, Ukrainepnt

Azerbaijan

+AzerbaijanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Budukh languageSeverely endangered bdkJuhuri languageJudeo-Tat languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: RussiajdtKhinalug languageSeverely endangered kjjKryz languageSeverely endangered kryLezgian languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: RussialezRutul languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: RussiarutTalysh languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: IrantlyTat languageSeverely endangered tttTsakhur languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: RussiatkrUdi languageSeverely endangered udi

Bangladesh

Bhutan

+BhutanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Black Mountain Monpa languageDefinitely endangered oleBrokkat languageDefinitely endangered broBrokpa languageDefinitely endangered sgtBumthang languageVulnerable kjzChali languageDefinitely endangered tgfChocangaca languageDefinitely endangered cgkDakpa languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: IndiadkaDzala languageVulnerable dzlDzongkha languageVulnerable dzoGongduk languageVulnerable goeKheng languageVulnerable xkfKurtöp languageVulnerable xkzLakha languageDefinitely endangered lkhLepcha languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: India, NepallepLhokpu languageDefinitely endangered lhpNupbikha languageVulnerable npbNyenkha languageVulnerable nehTawang languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: China, IndiatwmTshangla languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: China, Indiatsj

Burma (Myanmar)

+BurmaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Akeu languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Laos, ThailandaeuAmok languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: China, Laos, ThailandmqtAngku languageCritically endangered  Anung languageSeverely endangered nunBisu languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: ThailandbziChothe languageDefinitely endangered nctDanaw languageCritically endangered dnuGanan languageSeverely endangered zknKadu languageSeverely endangered kdvLaomian languageDefinitely endangered lwmMoklen languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: ThailandmwtMon languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: ThailandmnwMru languageSeverely endangered mroPalaung languageSeverely endangered pcePale languageSeverely endangered pceRiang languageCritically endangered rilRumai languageSeverely endangered rbbSak languageVulnerable ckhTailoi languageCritically endangered tlqTaruang languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: China, IndiamhuWa languageSeverely endangered prk or wbm

Cambodia

+CambodiaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Brao languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Laos, VietnambrbChong languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: ThailandcogKaco' languageDefinitely endangered xkkKasong languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: Thailandhas no iso codeKraol languageCritically endangered rkaKravet languageCritically endangered krvKrueng languageSeverely endangered krrKuay languageSeverely endangered kdtPear languageSeverely endangered pcbPhnong languageSeverely endangered cmoSa'och languageCritically endangeredAlso known as: ChungAlso spoken in: ThailandscqSomray languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: ThailandsmuSamre languageCritically endangered sxmSong languageCritically endangered  Stieng languageSeverely endangered sti or sttTampuan languageSeverely endangered tpuWestern Cham languageVulnerable cja

China

(Note: Taiwan area is not included in the list above. Related information is in section Taiwan.)

Cyprus

+CyprusLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Cypriot Arabic languageSeverely endangered acy

East Timor

+East TimorLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Adabe languageVulnerable adbHabu languageVulnerable hbuKairui-Midiki languageVulnerable krdMaku'a languageCritically endangered lvaNaueti languageVulnerable nxaWaima'a languageDefinitely endangered wmh

Georgia

+GeorgiaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Abkhaz languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: Russia, TurkeyabkBats languageSeverely endangered bblBohtan Neo-Aramaic languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: RussiabhnHomshetsma languageHomshetsi dialectSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Russiahye (?)Laz languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Turkeylzzkomi languageDefinitely endangered xmfOssetian languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: RussiaossPontic Greek languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Armenia, Greece, Russia, Turkey, UkrainepntSvan languageDefinitely endangered svaUdi languageSeverely endangered udiUrum languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Russia, Ukraineuum

India

Indonesia

Iran

+IranLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Ashtiani languageDefinitely endangered atnAssyrian Neo-Aramaic languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Armenia, Iraq, Syria, Turkeyaii, cldBashkardi languageDefinitely endangered bsgDzhidi languageDefinitely endangered jprGazi languageDefinitely endangered gziHawrami languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Iraqbjm, hac, sdb, sdfKhalaj languageVulnerable kljKhorasani Turkic languageVulnerable kmzKhunsari languageDefinitely endangered kfmKoroshi languageCritically endangered ktlLari languageDefinitely endangered lrl, fayMandaic languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: IraqmidNatanzi languageSeverely endangered ntzNayini languageSeverely endangered nyqSemnani languageDefinitely endangered lsa, sgr, smy, sqoSenaya languageCritically endangered synSivandi languageDefinitely endangered siy, fazSoi languageDefinitely endangered soiTalysh languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: AzerbaijantlyTati languageDefinitely endangered avd, esh, goz, hrz, kgn, okh, rat, rdb, shm, tks, tov, vmh, xkj, xkc, xkpVafsi languageDefinitely endangered vafZoroastrian Dari languageDefinitely endangered gbz

Iraq

+IraqLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Adyge languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, TurkeyadyHawrami languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Iran bjm, hac, sdb, sdfMandaic languageCritically endangeredAlso spoken in: Iran midAssyrian Neo-Aramaic languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Armenia, Iran, Syria, Turkeyaii, cldWestern Armenian languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Lebanon, Syriahye

Israel

+IsraelLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Adyge languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Iraq, Jordan, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, TurkeyadyBarzani Jewish Neo-Aramaic languageCritically endangered bjfDomari languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, SyriarmtHulaula languageHulaulá languageSeverely endangered huyJudeo-Berber languageSeverely endangered jbeJudezmo languageSeverely endangered ladJuhuri languageDefinitely endangered jdtLishan Didan languageSeverely endangered trgLishana Deni languageSeverely endangered lsdLishanid Noshan languageSeverely endangered aijMoroccan Judeo-Arabic languageDefinitely endangered ajuJudeo-Tunisian Arabic languageSeverely endangered ajtYiddish languageDefinitely endangered ydd

Japan

+JapanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Ainu languageCritically endangered ainAmami languageDefinitely endangered ams, kzg, ryn, tknHachijō languageDefinitely endangered  Kunigami languageDefinitely endangered okn, xug, yoxMiyako languageDefinitely endangered mviOkinawan languageDefinitely endangered ryuYaeyama languageSeverely endangered rysYonaguni languageSeverely endangered yoi

Jordan

+JordanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Adyge languageVulnerableAlso spoken in: Iraq, Israel, Macedonia, Russia, Syria, TurkeyadyDomari languageSeverely endangeredAlso spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syriarmt

Kazakhstan

+KazakhstanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Dungan languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: Kyrgyzstandng

Korea

+KoreaLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Jeju languageCritically endangered jje

Kyrgyzstan

+KyrgyzstanLanguageStatusCommentsISO 639-3Dungan languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: KazakhstandngOyrat languageDefinitely endangeredAlso spoken in: China, Mongoliaxal

Laos