Did you know Łingít (Tlingit) is critically endangered?

ALSO KNOWN AS		Tlinkit, Thlinget, Inland Tlingit, Lingit, Kolosch, Kolosh
CLASSIFICATION		Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit, Tlingit
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		tli
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Tongass Southern Sanya Southern Henya Transitional Northern Inland
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (12)

Information from: “First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia” .

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
6
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
448
SEMI SPEAKERS
10
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
For Tlingit in British Columbia only; does not include those in Alaska or the Yukon.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Mainly older adults, no children

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

PLACES: USA; Canada

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: British Columbia

Critically endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
300

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1430
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
11,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
1,200 in United States (2000 census), decreasing. Ethnic population: 10,000 in the USA (M. Krauss 1995). 230 in Canada (2001 census). Ethnic population: 1,000 in Canada (Krauss 1995).

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA; Canada;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: USA: Southeast Alaska, Yakutat south to the Canadian border at Portland Canal. Canada: Northwest British Columbia, Atlin; southern Yukon, Carcross, Teslin

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
502
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
10,400
SEMI SPEAKERS
7?
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
US: 500 (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 10,000 (1995 M. Krauss).
Canada: 2 in Canada (FPCC 2014). 7 semi-speakers (FPCC 2014). Ethnic population: 400 (FPCC 2014).

DATE OF INFO: 2007 (US), 2014 (Canada)

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA: Alaska

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: US: Alaska: Carcross-Tagish inland, Ketchikan south to Yakutat north.

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
200
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
25,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Ethnic population is about 25,000 between the US and Canada. Speaker population is, according to a recent community survey, around 200.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA; Canada

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: The largest population of Tlingit speakers is in Juneau, Alaska, so the map should be centered on that city. Tlingit area includes Southeast Alaska (Yakutat, Hoonah, Sitka, Klukwan, Haines, Skagway, Angoon, Juneau, Douglas, Kake, Wrangell, Klawock, Craig, Ketchikan, Saxman), Yukon Territory (Whitehorse, Carcross, Tagish, Teslin), British Columbia (Atlin).

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
355
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
300 in the U.S. in 2000; about 55 in Canada in 2001.

DATE OF INFO: 2000

PLACES: USA; Canada

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
300
Native speakers worldwide

TRANSMISSION

PLACES: USA; Canada

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~685
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
~10,000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Tlingit is the traditional language of the Tlingit people on the southeastern coast of Alaska from Yakutat to Ketchikan, and constitutes a separate branch of the Na-Dene family alongside Eyak and the Athabaskan languages. The total Tlingit population in Alaska (organized as the Sealaska Regional Corporation, divided into 16 village communities) is about 10,000, of whom perhaps as many as 500, none of them children, are fluent speakers of the language. An additional 185 Inland Tlingit speakers live in Canada in several communities in the southern Yukon and northern British Columbia. The only other well-marked local variety is the phonologically archaic Tongass dialect, formerly spoken in the Ketchikan area but now nearly extinct.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: USA; Canada

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Southeastern coast of Alaska from Yakutat to Ketchikan. An additional 185 Inland Tlingit speakers live in Canada in several communities in the southern Yukon and northern British Columbia. The only other well-marked local variety is the phonologically archaic Tongass dialect, formerly spoken in the Ketchikan area but now nearly extinct.

PLACES: USA; Canada

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
845
Native speakers worldwide

0 fluent and 2 semi-speakers. 13 language learners
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
456
SEMI SPEAKERS
2
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Numbers for British Columbia only.

		2012	First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia							First Peoples' Cultural Council	http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/		2012. "First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia." edited by First Peoples' Cultural Council. Online: http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/.		448	6		1-9	For Tlingit in British Columbia only; does not include those in Alaska or the Yukon.	10		English	Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	Mainly older adults, no children	15	British Columbia	USA; Canada		59.6200000, -132.8700000
	3	2018	Report on the status of B.C. First Nations Languages					First People's Cultural Council		First Peoples' Cultural Council		Britt Dunlop, Suzanne Gessner, Tracey Herbert & Aliana Parker			300	1		1-9					Critically Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																	59.0,-135.0
	16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	11,000	1430		1000-9999	1,200 in United States (2000 census), decreasing. Ethnic population: 10,000 in the USA (M. Krauss 1995). 230 in Canada (2001 census). Ethnic population: 1,000 in Canada (Krauss 1995).			English	Severely Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14		15		USA; Canada;	USA: Southeast Alaska, Yakutat south to the Canadian border at Portland Canal. Canada: Northwest British Columbia, Atlin; southern Yukon, Carcross, Teslin
		2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		10,400	502	2007 (US), 2014 (Canada)	100-999	US: 500 (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 10,000 (1995 M. Krauss). Canada: 2 in Canada (FPCC 2014). 7 semi-speakers (FPCC 2014). Ethnic population: 400 (FPCC 2014).	7?		English	Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				US: Alaska: Carcross-Tagish inland, Ketchikan south to Yakutat north.	USA: Alaska
													Crippen, James. 2013. "user suggestion."		25,000	200		100-999	Ethnic population is about 25,000 between the US and Canada. Speaker population is, according to a recent community survey, around 200.			English	Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15		USA; Canada	The largest population of Tlingit speakers is in Juneau, Alaska, so the map should be centered on that city. Tlingit area includes Southeast Alaska (Yakutat, Hoonah, Sitka, Klukwan, Haines, Skagway, Angoon, Juneau, Douglas, Kake, Wrangell, Klawock, Craig, Ketchikan, Saxman), Yukon Territory (Whitehorse, Carcross, Tagish, Teslin), British Columbia (Atlin).	58.302,-134.419
	3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger					UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		355	2000	100-999	300 in the U.S. in 2000; about 55 in Canada in 2001.				Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA; Canada		58.334,-133.7475
		2008	"Documenting Tlingit Raven Stories [ISO 639 tli]" NSF DEL Abstract								http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0756468&WT.z_pims_id=12816	Dauenhauer, Richard	Dauenhauer, Richard 2008. "Documenting Tlingit Raven Stories [ISO 639 tli]" NSF DEL Abstract.			300		100-999					Critically Endangered (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15				USA; Canada
		2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher		Routledge	London			Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.		~10,000	~685		100-999	Tlingit is the traditional language of the Tlingit people on the southeastern coast of Alaska from Yakutat to Ketchikan, and constitutes a separate branch of the Na-Dene family alongside Eyak and the Athabaskan languages. The total Tlingit population in Alaska (organized as the Sealaska Regional Corporation, divided into 16 village communities) is about 10,000, of whom perhaps as many as 500, none of them children, are fluent speakers of the language. An additional 185 Inland Tlingit speakers live in Canada in several communities in the southern Yukon and northern British Columbia. The only other well-marked local variety is the phonologically archaic Tongass dialect, formerly spoken in the Ketchikan area but now nearly extinct.			English	Critically Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		15	Southeastern coast of Alaska from Yakutat to Ketchikan. An additional 185 Inland Tlingit speakers live in Canada in several communities in the southern Yukon and northern British Columbia. The only other well-marked local variety is the phonologically archaic Tongass dialect, formerly spoken in the Ketchikan area but now nearly extinct.	USA; Canada	Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia
	2nd edition	2010	Endangered Languages of the United States	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing	108-130	Christopher Moseley		UNESCO	Paris			Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell	Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell. 2010. "Endangered Languages of the United States." In Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing, edited by Christopher Moseley. 108-130. UNESCO.															USA; Canada		60.171,-132.7395; 58.334,-133.7475
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			845		100-999					Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		2022	Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages (Fourth Edition)								https://fpcc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FPCC-LanguageReport-23.02.14-FINAL.pdf	Gessner, Suzanne, Tracey Herbertn and Aliana Parker			456	0 fluent and 2 semi-speakers. 13 language learners		Awakening	Numbers for British Columbia only.	2	13

Łingít (Tlingit)

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6

Critically endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1430

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

502

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

200

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

355

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

300

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~685

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

845

0 fluent and 2 semi-speakers. 13 language learners

Discussion

Łingít (Tlingit)

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

6

Critically endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1430

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

502

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

200

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

355

Critically endangered

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

300

Critically endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~685

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

845

0 fluent and 2 semi-speakers. 13 language learners

Discussion

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