Exploring the Most Unknown Language in the World

Did you know that there are people who communicate through whistles? Seems weird, right? Believe it or not, it is one of the oldest known languages in the world. Yes, you read that right, language. 

Language forms the base for any sort of communication. It reflects a culture, a community’s beliefs, and traditions. Thousands of languages are spoken across the globe. However, many of them are on the verge of extinction. 

Now, who is not interested in knowing about the unknown? On that note, let’s talk about the most unknown language in the world. 

However, it is difficult to point out the most unknown language in the world since many languages are going extinct. Therefore, this blog will talk about a few lesser-known or obscure languages worldwide.

How Many Languages Are Spoken in the World?

Numerous people all over the world are interested in language learning. If you are one of them, you will be spoilt for choice when you know the number of languages spoken worldwide. According to data from researchers at Ethnologue, there are 7,159 languages in use today across the world. Papua New Guinea is considered the world’s most multilingual country, with 840 languages spoken. 

While that speaks a lot about the importance of linguistic diversity, you will be surprised to know that 40% of these languages are endangered, with only 1000 speakers. Further, there are only 23 dominant languages spoken by 50% of the global population. 

That is shocking, and it also sheds light on the fact that it is difficult to pinpoint one language as the most unknown language. On that note, let’s explore the most obscure human languages in the world. The following section can be quite interesting for those looking for the hardest languages to learn. Need certified translations in obscure or rare languages?

World’s Most Unknown Languages

A. Silbo Gomero

Native speakers of La Gomera, Canary Islands, located off the coasts of Spain, communicate using Silbo Gomero. The language is similar to no other in the world, but it is part of the Spanish language family. 

The language was on the verge of extinction but was revived in the late 1990s. One of the rarest features is that it does not use words. Instead, people communicate through whistles. 

The native language replaces the vowels in Spanish with two tones, ‘i’ being the highest and ‘o’ being the lowest, and the others falling in the middle. Different pitches, breaks, steadiness, and volumes represent the consonants. The language might be music to your ears, but for the natives there, this is a complete language. 

B. Rotokas

Rotokas is a spoken language in the Bougainville region of Papua New Guinea. It is unique because of its phonological simplicity. With only 12 phonemes, it is considered to have the world’s smallest phonemic inventory. 

This fact alone makes it one of the most uncommon languages. While its limited phonetic diversity has grabbed the attention of linguists, the language is rich in grammatical structures and expressive capabilities. 

The number of speakers of this language is only 4000. If you take an interest in learning new and unique languages, you can opt for this. Its limited phonetic diversity makes it easy to learn. 

C. Michif

Michif can be called the world’s least spoken language. Less than 1000 people speak this language. The language is spoken in Europe by the Metis people, who are the descendants of European fur traders. You can find them in certain regions of Canada and small pockets of North Dakota.

It is one of the indigenous languages spoken by the natives of that place. Despite Michif being a combination of Cree and French, the natives are not able to speak the languages. Since there are only a few speakers, it is one of the most unique languages. 

The language is taught in schools to date in areas where Metis people are present. 

D. Pirahã

Pirahã language is the only surviving dialect of the Mura languages. Despite having as few as 380 speakers, this language cannot be considered one of the critically endangered languages. The community speaks this language only, thus not facing a threat of extinction. 

Adding on, this language is also considered an easy one to learn. With only 10-12 phonemes consisting of 7 consonants and 3 vowels, language learners will find it easy to learn. 

The language is mostly conceptual with no fixed words for numbers and colours. An interesting thing about the language is that the natives only consider the present and are not concerned with the past. If they don’t see anything, they simply say that it doesn’t exist. 

You can go through the most spoken languages in the world to understand how they are different from each other.

E. Taushiro

If you are curious about knowing about a critically endangered language, Taushiro is the one you must know about. The isolated language in Peru only has one fluent speaker and is nearly extinct. The reason behind such low numbers is the influence of the Spanish and the lack of or no younger generations. 

Linguists and anthropologists are working with the last fluent speaker to preserve the cultural heritage by creating documents and materials. These can help in revitalisation efforts via community engagement and cultural awareness programmes. 

F. Tanema

Tanema is getting overshadowed by the more widely spoken languages due to its limited use. The language does not have any official recognition and is spoken by a small group of people. This is an endangered language, and the Taneka community is working with linguists to preserve and revitalise the language. 

They are taking the initiative to include oral history projects, intergenerational language workshops, and cultural events that celebrate their rich heritage. These offer some sort of hope to the community about the preservation of the language. 

G. Ongota

The traditional language from Ethiopia is almost extinct since its last known speaker passed away in the year 2008. The community is trying to keep the language alive. However, the efforts to document and revitalise the nearly extinct language are being hindered by the lack of fluent speakers. 

While this cannot be considered the oldest language in the world, it is a sign of the culture, and preserving it is important. The authorities, that is, UNESCO, responsible for preserving endangered languages, are looking for ways to document and preserve this language. 

H. Archi

The language from the Archib region in Russia is heard spoken throughout seven small villages in that region. It is one of the most complex languages, and its written form has come into being very recently. 

The facts that make the language complex are its 28 vowel phonemes and 74 to 82 consonants. Further, Archi has four noun forms while other neighboring languages have only two noun forms, masculine and feminine. Adding on, the language is said to have 1.5 million verb forms. If you feel English is the hardest language to learn, think again. 

The language is also a highly endangered one, and language preservation is essential for this one, too. 

I. Njerep

The language is still spoken by four individuals in Nigeria. It is a part of the Mambiloid languages, which belong to the Benue-Congo language family. The language is extinct in Cameroon, and there are almost no speakers of this language. Presently, the only use of Njerep is to keep a conversation secret. Anthropologists believe the language will not survive the tides of time. 

J. Liki

Liki is also known as Moar and is spoken by people living on the islands off the coast of Sarmi Kecamatan, Jayapura Kabupaten, and Sarmi in the Papua region of Indonesia. The language was once very popular. However, now only 11 speakers are remaining of the 320 people living there.

Final Thoughts

Naming the world’s most unknown language is tough. Various isolated communities around the world speak different languages. Since most people speak English whenever they travel or at their workplace, they are not aware of the existence of others. The authorities must take steps to preserve these languages as they hold a lot of cultural significance. 

Hope the information above will help you know about different obscure languages around the world. While these are not spoken regularly everywhere, it will help you know how people from different cultures exist around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

 What is the oldest forgotten language?

Sumerian, Akkadian, and Egyptian languages are considered the most ancient languages, with their last known evidence dating back 4000 years. There is written evidence of these dialects, but there are no more speakers left. 

What is the most famous fake language?

Klingon is the most famous fake language. Languages often become popular when used in films or TV series. Klingon is the language of Star Trek and has been made more popular by the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.

What is the rarest language in history?

Kawishana is considered to be the rarest dialect in history. Once a popular language, its dwindling number of speakers made it almost extinct. Research suggests that only one living person is speaking the language today. 

Which country has zero languages?

Five countries do not have any language:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Costa Rica
• Eritrea

These countries use English as their primary language but do not have any specific dialect.