List of extinct languages of Africa
Encyclopedia
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, languages which have undergone language death
Language death
In linguistics, language death is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased, eventually resulting in no native and/or fluent speakers of the variety...
, have no native speakers and no spoken descendant
Historical language
Historical languages are languages that were spoken in a historical period. See:*Historical linguistics*List of languages by first written accounts*List of extinct languages*Classical language*Proto-language...
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Cameroon
- Duli
- Gey
- Nagumi
- YeniYeni languageThe Yeni language is an extinct language of Cameroon, formerly spoken around Djeni Mountain in the Nyalang area. All that remains of the language, apparently, is a song remembered by some Sandani speakers...
Ethiopia
- GafatGafat languageThe Gafat language is an extinct Semitic language that was once spoken along the Abbay River in Ethiopia. The records of this language are extremely sparse. There is a translation of the Song of Songs written in the 17th or 18th Century held at the Bodleian Library...
- Geez (see Eritrea, above)
- Mesmes languageMesmes languageThe Mesmes language is an extinct language, one of the West Gurage languages, a cluster of Semitic languages in Ethiopia. There are still many people who claim the Mesmes ethnic identity, but none who speak the language. The last speaker of the language was interviewed by a language survey team...
- WeytoWeyto languageThe Weyto language is believed to be an extinct language formerly spoken in the Lake Tana region of Ethiopia by the Weyto, a small group of hippopotamus hunters who now speak Amharic....
Guinea
- Baga Kaloum (see Baga languagesBaga languagesThe Baga languages are languages of the Mel family spoken in the coastal region of Guinea. The total number of speakers is about 30,000, of which Landoma speakers make up almost half....
) - Baga Sobané
Nigeria
- AjawaAjawa languageAjawa is an extinct Afro-Asiatic language formerly spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Ajawa became extinct between 1920 and 1940 as speakers switched to Hausa....
- AuyokawaAuyokawa languageAuyokawa is an extinct Afro-Asiatic language formerly spoken in Jigawa State, Nigeria.- References :*...
- Basa-Gumna
- Gamo-Ningi
- KpatiKpati languageKpati is an extinct Bantoid language formerly spoken in Taraba State, Nigeria....
- KubiKubi languageKubi is an extinct Afro-Asiatic language formerly spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Members of the ethnic group now speak Hausa....
- Mawa
- TeshenawaTeshenawa languageTeshenawa is an extinct Afro-Asiatic language formerly spoken in Jigawa State, Nigeria.- References :*...
South Africa
- //Xegwi
- /Xam
- SeroaSeroa languageSeroa was a dialect of the extinct ǀXam language of the ǃKwi family, spoken in South Africa and Lesotho. The name "Seroa" is an exonym from Sesotho meaning "language of the San" derived from the general Sesotho name "Baroa" meaning simply "San people". Local or dialectical names were and...
Sudan
- Ancient NubianAncient NubianAncient nubian is an extinct language which was spoken till recent times dating from around 8th century B.C. It is a Nilo-Saharan language mostly spoken in the region of Nubia in Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt.-History:...
- BaygoBeigoBeigo is an extinct East Sudanic language once spoken in Sudan by the Baygo tribe, numbering some 850 in the late twentieth century...
- Berti
- Birked
- GuleGule languageGule, also known as Anej, Fecakomodiyo, and Hamej, is an extinct Koman language of Sudan....
- HomaHoma languageHoma is an extinct South Sudanese Bantu language of uncertain affiliation. It has been included in the Boan languages....
- Mittu
- Togoyo
- ToronaTorona languageTorona is an extinct Niger–Congo language in the Talodi family of Kordofan, Sudan. Speakers have shifted to Tira....
Tunisia
- Mediterranean Lingua FrancaMediterranean Lingua FrancaThe Mediterranean Lingua Franca or Sabir was a pidgin language used as a lingua franca in the Mediterranean Basin from the 11th to the 19th century.-History:...
- PunicPunic languageThe Punic language or Carthagian language is an extinct Semitic language formerly spoken in the Mediterranean region of North Africa and several Mediterranean islands, by people of the Punic culture.- Description :...
- SenedSened languageSened is an extinct Berber language that was spoken in the nearby towns of Sened and Majoura in Southern Tunisia until the mid-twentieth century...
- VandalicVandalic languageVandalic was a Germanic language probably closely related to Gothic. The Vandals, Hasdingi and Silingi established themselves in Gallaecia and in Southern Spain, following other Germanic and non-Germanic peoples , before moving to North Africa in AD 429.Very little is known about the Vandalic...