Around 3,000 of the over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide are at risk of vanishing by the end of the 21st century, posing a threat to cultural and linguistic diversity.
According to UNESCO, 6,700 indigenous languages make up the 7,000 worldwide spoken languages, and these are classified as the most endangered languages in the world. Their disappearance could mean the irrevocable disappearance of cosmopolitanism and the common heritage of humanity.
According to the U.N., the loss of linguistic diversity affects everything from biological life to cultural life.
The "Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger" considers the languages not spoken since 1950 "extinct."
Cappadocian Greek (Türkiye), Gothic, Mozarabic, old Prussian, Western Mansi and Huron-Wyandot (U.S.) are among them.
When the youngest speakers are grandparents and older and speak the language partially and infrequently, the language is considered "critically endangered." Languages spoken by these age groups but not passed on to future generations are described as "severely endangered."
Languages that are no longer spoken by children as a "mother tongue" in the home are "definitely endangered," while languages restricted to certain domains are considered "vulnerable."
For a language to be considered "safe," it must be spoken by all generations without any restrictions on the language. According to this classification, 4% of the languages spoken to date are attributed as "extinct," no speakers left.
Ten percent of languages spoken today are classified as "critically endangered," 9% as "severely endangered," 11% as "definitely endangered" and 10% as "vulnerable."
UNESCO is concerned that these languages may disappear by the end of this century. As a result, the U.N. body established International Mother Language Day, celebrated on Feb. 21 since 2000, thanks to the initiative of Bangladesh to help raise awareness of the importance of linguistic diversity.
