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Introduction
Language isolates are languages that have no known historical or linguistic relationship to any other languages. In some cases, languages are classified as isolates because we know so little about them that we are unable to establish a family relationship. In other cases, the languages are well known and well described, but a family relationship cannot be determined, e.g., Korean and Basque. Language isolates can be found in all parts of the world.
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Ainu
Korean
Waorani
Gilyak
Warao
Ticuna
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Status
Ethnologue lists 40 language isolates. Of these, 9 are extinct and 8 are on the verge of extinction with fewer than 100 speakers remaining. A good percentage of the languages listed are spoken in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, and the Andean regions of South America. The only large language isolates are Korean with 42 million and Basque with more than 600,000 speakers.
The table below lists existing language isolates.
Abinom |
300 |
Indonesia (Papua) |
Burmeso |
250 |
Indonesia (Papua) |
Karkar-Yuri |
1,142 |
Papua New Guinea |
Kibiri |
1,100 |
Papua New Guinea |
Odiai |
244 |
Papua New Guinea |
Yale |
600 |
Papua New Guinea |
Ainu |
15 |
Japan |
Gilyak (Nivkh) |
1,000 |
Russian Far East |
Korean |
42 million |
Korea |
Waorani |
1,650 |
Ecuador |
Warao |
18,000 |
Venezuela |
Andoque |
619, 50 are monolingual |
Colombia |
Camsà |
4,000 |
Colombia |
Paéz |
71,400 to 83,300 |
Colombia |
Puinave |
2,000 |
Colombia |
Tol |
350 |
Honduras |
Candoshi-Shapra |
3,000 |
Peru |
Urarina |
3,000 |
Peru |
Itonama |
10 |
Bolivia |
Leco |
20 |
Bolivia |
Yuracare |
2,675 |
Bolivia |
Movima |
1,452 |
Bolivia |
Tsimané |
5,316 |
Bolivia |
Ticuna |
25,000 |
Brazil |
Trumaí |
78 |
Brazil |
Puelche |
5-6 |
Argentina |
Burushaski |
87,000 |
Pakistan |
Nihali |
2,000 |
India |
Centúúm |
200 |
Nigeria |
Yuchi |
10-12 |
U.S. |
Zuni |
9,651 |
U.S. |
Basque |
580,000 |
Spain |
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