Extinct Languages of Asia

Languages become extinct in countries and on continents when there is no longer someone that can speak them. This happens when there are no ancestors who are fluent in the language to pass it on to family members or friends. There are many languages throughout Asia that have become extinct.

Extinct Languages of Asia

Below is a list of the extinct languages of Asia, listed by the country that they were originally spoken in.

China

• Khitan: This language was originally spoken by the Khitan people that inhabited the country of Japan from 388AD to 1243AD.
• Saka: Also called Sakan, this is the name of two extinct languages from Iran. It was spoken primarily in Xinjiang, China.
• Tocharian: Also called Tokharian, this language is an extinct Indo-European language family.
• Jurchen: This language was originally spoken by the Jurchen people of Manchuria and is now extinct.
• Zhang-Zhung: An extinct Tibeto-Burman language spoken primarily in Tibet and Central Asia.
• Tangut: Another Tibeto-Burman language that was spoken in the Western Xia Dynasty.
• Han’er: This is the pre-modern Sino-Korean language that was spoken in medieval China.

Korea

• Goguryeo: This language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo and one of the three kingdoms of Korea.
• Silla: This language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Silla from 57BC to 935AD.
• Buyeo: Also known as Fuyu, this language was a combination of languages spoken on the Korean Peninsula.
• Baekje: This language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Baekje from 18 BCE to 660 CE.

Central and Northern Asia

• Scythia: This refers to the now nonexistent languages spoken by the people of the Scythia region in Eurasia.
• Hunnic: Also known is Hunnish, this language was spoken by the Huns that lived in Europe and Asia.
• Khazarian: Also known as Khazar, this was the language spoken by the Khazars in Central Asia.
• Sogdian: This language was spoken in Sogdiana, which is now modern day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Siberia

• Arin: This was a language spoken in Russia in an area along the Yenisei River.
• Assan: A Yeniseian language spoken during the 19th century.
• Kamassian: Also known as Kamas, it is an extinct Uralic language.
• Koibal: This language was spoken by the Koibal people in Southern Siberia.
• Kott: A language formerly spoken in Central Siberia.
• Mator: Also known as Motor, this language is an extinct Uralic language.
• Pumpokol: One of the Yeniseian languages that went extinct in the 18th century.
• Sireniki: Also called Sirenikskiy, this is an extinct language of the Eskimos or Aleutians that lived in areas of Asia.
• Yugh: An extinct language spoken by the Yugh people in Central Siberia.
• Yurats: A Samoyedic language previously spoken by those living in the Siberia tundra.

India

• Ahom
• Arwi
• Labanki

• Andamanese Languages such as Aka-Bea, Aka-Bo and Aka-Cari

Sri Lanka

• Arwi
• Ceylon Portugese
• Ceylon Dutch
• Kaffir
• Pali

Taiwan

• Bassay
• Kulun
• Honya
• Ketangalan
• Taokas
• Papora
• Siraya
• Babuza
• Pazeh

Thailand

• Phi

Near East

• Anatolian Languages
• Carian
• Hittite
• Luwian
• Lycian
• Lydian
• Mysian
• Palaic
• Galatian
• Hattian
• Phrygian
• Trojan
• Uratian

Arabia

• Hadramautic
• Himyarite
• Minaean
• Nabatean
• Qatabanian
• Sabaean

Caucasus

• Ubykh

Iranian Plateau

AzariElamite

Levant

• Ammonite
• Eblaite
• Edomite
• Moabite
• Phoenician
• Ugaritic

Mesopotamia

• Akkadian
• Amorite
• Gutian
• Hurrian
• Kassite
• Sumerian

This list is derived from information presented at Wikipedia.com.