Page Type: faqFAQs | Ethnologue

FAQs

Endangerment

How many extinct languages are there in the world?
How many languages of the world have less than 1,000 speakers? Less than 100 speakers? Less than 10 speakers?
What is an endangered language?
What is the difference between a dormant language and an extinct language?
How many endangered languages are there in the world today?
What is EGIDS? How is it used?

Languages

How can I learn to speak language X? Can you send me a dictionary or language learning materials?
How many international languages (EGIDS 0) are there?
How many language families are there?
How many languages are there in the world?
What are the 10 largest / most spoken languages in the world?
What country has the most languages?
What happened to the Ethnologue's identification of 'national' and 'official' languages?
What is the difference between a dormant language and an extinct language?
What is the largest language family? In terms of languages? In terms of speakers?
Which countries have the most languages
Which language is spoken in the most countries? How many countries?
Why are there so many more living languages listed in the 17th edition (7106) than there are in the 16th (6909)?
What is EGIDS? How is it used?

Countries

Can you send me more information about country X?
On what basis are the countries grouped into regions?
What country has the most languages?
Which countries have the most languages
Which major country has the highest density or concentration of languages?
Why are there some countries without a language map?
Why is your total world population significantly lower than the actual population?

Publishing

How do I purchase a book? Can I purchase a volume of just one part of the world?
Is the Ethnologue published in any other language besides English? Why not?
May I translate your website into my language?
When will the next edition of the Ethnologue be published? Is it still once every four years?
Why are there some countries without a language map?

Development

How many languages in the world are unwritten?

Products

How do I purchase a book? Can I purchase a volume of just one part of the world?
Where can I find previous editions of the Ethnologue?