List of extinct languages of North America

Language Endangerment Status
by UNESCO *Atlas of the World's*
*Languages in Danger* category
Language Endangerment Status by UNESCO Atlas of the World's; Languages in Danger category
Extinct (EX)
Extinct (EX);	(lists);
Endangered
Critically Endangered (CR); Severely Endangered (SE); Definitely Endangered (DE); Vulnerable (VU);	(list); (list); (list); (list);
Safe
Safe (NE);	no list;
	Other categories
Revived (RE); Constructed (CL);	(list); (list);
	Related topics Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger; Endangered Languages Project; Ethnologue; Unclassified language; List of languages by total number of speakers;
	; UNESCO Atlas of the World's; Languages in Danger categories
	v; t; e;

This is a list of extinct languages of North America, languages which have undergone language death, have no native speakers and no spoken descendant, most of them being languages of former Native American tribes.

There are 169 languages listed.

Canada

Indigenous languages

Language name	Language family	Extinction date	Notes	References
Beothuk	unclassified	6 June 1829
Laurentian	Iroquoian	late 16th century
Neutral Huron	Iroquoian	1671 AD		^[1]
Pentlatch	Salishan	1940	currently being revived	^[2]

European language dialects

Language or dialect name	Dialect parent language	Language family	Extinction date	Notes	References
Newfoundland Irish	Irish	Indo-European	20th century

Pidgin languages

Language name	Pidgin parent language(s)	Extinction date	Notes	References
Algonquian–Basque pidgin	Basque, Algonquian	approx. 1711

Caribbean

Indigenous languages

Language name	Language family	Extinction date	Locations
Caquetio	Arawakan	1862	ABC islands (Leeward Antilles)
Ciguayo	unclassified	16th century	Hispaniola
Guanahatabey	unclassified	16th century	Cuba
Macorix	unclassified	16th century	Hispaniola
Shebaya	Arawakan	19th century	Trinidad
Taino	Arawakan	19th century	Widespread throughout Caribbean

Central America

Indigenous languages

Language name	Language family	Extinction date	Locations
Cacaopera	Misumalpan	20th century	El Salvador
Chiquimulilla	Xincan	1996	Guatemala
Guazacapán	Xincan	1997	Guatemala
Jumaytepeque	Xincan	1997	Guatemala
Mangue/Chorotega	Oto-Manguean	19th century	Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica
Sinacantán	Xincan	20th century	Guatemala
Subtiaba	Oto-Manguean	20th century	Nicaragua
Yupiltepeque	Xincan	1920s	Guatemala

Greenland

European language dialects

Language name	Language family	Extinction date	Notes	References
Greenlandic Norse	North Germanic	late 15th or early 16th century

Pidgin languages

Language name	Pidgin parent language(s)	Extinction date	Notes	References
West Greenlandic Pidgin	Greenlandic	19th century

Mexico

Indigenous languages

Language or dialect name	Dialect parent language	Language family	Extinction date	Notes
Cazcan/Caxcan/Kaskán		Uto-Aztecan	16th or 17th century
Chiapanec		Oto-Manguean	20th century
Chicomuceltec		Mayan	1970s or 1980s
Cochimí		Yuman–Cochimí	early 20th century
Comecrudo		Pakawan	19th century
Cuitlatec/Cuitlateco		Language isolate	1960s
Classical Náhuatl	Nahuatl	Uto-Aztecan	late 16th century	used as the lingua franca of the Aztec Empire until its collapse
Mamulique		Pakawan	19th century
Southern Pame	Pame	Oto-Manguean	mid 20th century
Pericú		unclassified	before 1800
Pochutec		Uto-Aztecan	20th century
Solteco Zapotec		Oto-Manguean	19th century
Tapachultec		Mixe–Zoque	1930s
Tepecano		Uto-Aztecan	20th century
Tubar		Uto-Aztecan	20th century
Waikuri		unclassified	before 1800

United States

Indigenous languages

Language or dialect name	Language family	Extinction date	Notes	References
Adai	unclassified	19th century
Ais	unclassified	18th century
Carolina Algonquian/Pamlico/Croatoan	Algic	1790s
Alsea/Yaquina	Language isolate	1942	Alsea and Yaquina are thought to be either two related languages or two dialects of the same language
Apalachee	Muskogean	18th century - Revival Attempt
Aranama	unclassified	19th century
Atakapa	Language isolate	20th century
Atsina/Gros Ventre	Algic	2007	Revival attempts underway
Atsugewi	Palaihnihan	1988
Awaswas	Utian		formerly known as "Santa Cruz"
Barbareño/Ineseño	Chumashan	1965	Revival attempts underway. Barbareño and Ineseño may be related dialects of the same language or closely related languages
Biloxi	Siouan	1930s
Cahto/Kato	Na-Dene	1960s
Calusa	unclassified	19th century
Catawba	Siouan	1959
Cayuse	unclassified	1930s
Chalon	Utian
Chehalis	Salishan	2001
Chemakum/Chimakum/Chimacum	Chimakuan	19th century
Chico/Valley Maidu	Maiduan
Chimariko	Language isolate	1950s
Chitimacha/Sitimaxa	Language isolate	1940	Revival attempts underway
Chiwere/Iowa-Otoe-Missouria/Báxoje-Jíwere-Ñút'achi	Siouan	1996	Revival attempts underway
Chochenyo	Utian	1934	Revival attempts underway
Coahuilteco	Pakawan	18th century
Columbia-Moses	Salishan	2 May 2023		^[3]
Cowlitz	Salishan	20th century	Revival attempts underway
Cruzeño/Isleño/Island Chumash	Chumashan	1915
Cupeño	Uto-Aztecan	1987
Esselen	Language isolate	19th century
Etchemin	Algic	17th century
Eyak	Na-Dene	2008	Revival attempts underway
Galice/Galice-Applegate/Upper Rogue River	Na-Dene	1963
Hanis/Coos	Coosan	1972
Holikachuk	Na-Dene	2012
Central Kalapuya	Kalapuyan	1954
Kansa	Siouan	1982
Karankawa	unclassified	1858
Karkin	Utian	1950s
Kathlamet	Chinookan	1930s
Kiksht/Upper Chinook/Columbia Chinook/Wasco-Wishram	Chinookan	2012
Kitanemuk	Uto-Aztecan	1940s
Kitsai	Caddoan	1940
Klallam/Clallam/Ns'Klallam/S'klallam	Salishan	2014	Revival attempts underway
Klamath/Klamath–Modoc/Lutuamian	Plateau Penutian	2003	Revival attempts underway
Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie	Na-Dene	20th century
Loup	Algic	18th century
Luiseño	Uto-Aztecan	2010s
Lushootseed	Coast Salish	2008	Revival attempts underway
Mandan	Siouan	2016	Revival attempts underway
Massachusett/Natick/Wôpanâak/Pokanoket/Nonantum/Indian	Algic	19th century	Revival attempts underway
Mattole/Mattole-Bear River	Na-Dene
Miami-Illinois	Algic	20th century	Revival attempts underway
Miluk/ Lower Coquille	Coosan	1939
Bay Miwok	Utian
Coast Miwok	Utian	1970
Mohican/Mahican	Algic	1940s	Revival attempts underway
Mohegan-Pequot/Mohegan-Pequot-Montauk/Secatogue/Shinnecock-Poosepatuck	Algic	1908	Revival attempts underway
Molala	Plateau Penutian	1958
Mutsun	Utian	1930	Revival attempts underway
Nanticoke	Algic	1840s
Narragansett	Algic	18th-19th century
Natchez	Language isolate	1957	Revival attempts underway
Nawathinehena	Algic	19th century
Nicoleño	Uto-Aztecan	1853
Nooksack	Salishan	1988	Revival attempts underway
Northern Kalapuyan	Kalapuyan	1937
Nottoway/Cheroenhaka	Iroquoian	1838	Revival attempts underway
Obispeño	Chumashan	1917
Ofo	Siouan	20th century
Osage	Siouan	2005	As of 2009, 15-20 2L speakers and ongoing revival
Piro Pueblo	Tanoan	1900
Plains Apache	Na-Dene	2008
Central Pomo	Pomoan	20th century
Eastern Pomo/Clear Lake Pomo	Pomoan
Northeastern Pomo	Pomoan	1961
Powhatan/Virginia Algonquian	Algic	18th century
Purisimeño	Chumashan
Quileute	Chimakuan	1999
Quiripi/Mattabesic/Quiripi-Unquachog/Quiripi-Naugatuck/Wampano	Algic	20th century
Ramaytush	Utian	1915
Rumsen/Rumsien/San Carlos Costanoan/Carmeleno	Utian	1939
Salinan		1958
Serrano		2002	Revival attempts underway
Shasta		20th century
Siuslaw	Language isolate	1960
Susquehannock/Conestoga	Iroquoian	18th century
Takelma		1934
Tamien	Utian
Tataviam	Uto-Aztecan	1916
Tillamook	Salishan	1972
Timucua	Language isolate	18th century
Tongva/Gabrielino/Gabrieleño	Uto-Aztecan	20th century	Revival attempts underway
Tonkawa	Language isolate	1940s
Tübatulabal	Uto-Aztecan	2008	Revival attempts underway^[4]
Tunica/Luhchi Yoroni/Tonica/Yuron	Language isolate	1948	Revival attempts underway
Tuscarora	Iroquoian	2020
Tutelo/Tutelo–Saponi	Siouan	1982
Tututni/(Lower) Rogue River/Upper Coquille/Nuu-wee-ya	Na-Dene	1983	Revival attempts underway
Twana/Skokomish	Salishan	1980
Upper Umpqua	Na-Dene	1950s
Unami	Algic	2002
Vanyume	Uto-Aztecan
Ventureño	Chumashan	20th century
Wailaki/Eel River Athabaskan	Na-Dene	1960s
Wappo	Yuki–Wappo	1990
Wichita	Caddoan	2016
Wintu	Wintuan		Revival attempts underway
Wiyot/Wishosk/Soulatluk	Algic	1962
Yamasee	unclassified	18th century
Yana/Yanan	Language isolate	1916
Yoncalla/Southern Kalapuya/Yonkalla	Kalapuyan	1930s
Yuki/Ukomno'm	Yuki–Wappo	1983
Yurok/Chillula/Mita/Pekwan/Rikwa/Sugon/Weitspek/Weitspekan	Algic	2013

European languages or dialects

Language name	Language family	Extinction date	References
Jersey Dutch	Indo-European	20th century

Creole languages or dialects

Language name	Creole parent language(s)	Extinction date	References
Mohawk Dutch	Dutch creole and Mohawk

Pidgin languages

Language name	Pidgin parent language(s)	Extinction date
Broken Oghibbeway	Ottawa Ojibwe and Fox
Pidgin Delaware	Delaware	19th century
Mobilian Jargon	Muskogean	1950s

Sign languages

Language name	Extinction date	References
Henniker Sign Language	20th century
Martha's Vineyard Sign Language	1952
Plateau Sign Language	18th century
Sandy River Valley Sign Language	19th century

U.S. Virgin Islands

Creole languages

Language name	Creole parent language(s)	Extinction date	References
Negerhollands	Dutch creole, Danish, English, French, Spanish, and African	1987

United States and Canada

Indigenous languages

Language or dialect name	Dialect parent language	Language family	Extinction date	Notes	References
Eastern Abnaki dialect	Abnaki language	Algonquian	1993		^[5]
Wyandot		Iroquoian	1972	Revival attempts underway by the Wyandotte Nation (United States) and Huron-Wendat Nation (Canada)	^[6]
Tsetsaut		Na-Dene

United States and Mexico

Indigenous languages

Language or dialect name	Language family	Extinction date	Notes
Cotoname	Pakawan	20th century
Garza	Pakawan	19th century
Ópata	Uto-Aztecan	20th century	Revival attempts underway among Opata people
Solano	unclassified	18th century

References

^ "The Neutral Confederacy". The Canadian Encyclopedia
^ "Maclean's - November 2020". magazine.macleans.ca. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
^ "Last Fluent Speaker of Nxamxcin Language Dies at 96". The Spokesman. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
^ "Pahka'anil (Tübatulabal) Text Project - Home". web.csulb.edu.
^ "Penobscot". Native Languages of the Americas. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
^ Pulte, William. 1999. "The Last Speaker of Wyandot". Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics 24(4):43-44.

[1] "The Neutral Confederacy". The Canadian Encyclopedia

[2] "Maclean's - November 2020". magazine.macleans.ca. Retrieved 2022-10-03.

[3] "Last Fluent Speaker of Nxamxcin Language Dies at 96". The Spokesman. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.

[4] "Pahka'anil (Tübatulabal) Text Project - Home". web.csulb.edu.

[5] "Penobscot". Native Languages of the Americas. Retrieved October 25, 2011.

[6] Pulte, William. 1999. "The Last Speaker of Wyandot". Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics 24(4):43-44.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

Language Endangerment Status by UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger category
Extinct (EX)
Extinct (EX)	(lists)
Endangered
Critically Endangered (CR) Severely Endangered (SE) Definitely Endangered (DE) Vulnerable (VU)	(list) (list) (list) (list)
Safe
Safe (NE)	no list
Other categories
Revived (RE) Constructed (CL)	(list) (list)
Related topics Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger Endangered Languages Project Ethnologue Unclassified language List of languages by total number of speakers
UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger categories
v t e

v t e List of extinct languages of the Americas
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North America Central America Caribbean Latin America and Caribbean South America

List of extinct languages of North America

Canada

Caribbean

Central America

Greenland

Mexico

United States

Indigenous languages

European languages or dialects

Creole languages or dialects

Pidgin languages

Sign languages

U.S. Virgin Islands

United States and Canada

United States and Mexico

See also

References