Spoken across Borno and Adamawa states in northeastern Nigeria. Atilingo’s first field recordings — 14 hours so far — come from Askira Uba.
Right now, somewhere in the world, a language is dying. Not in a dramatic, sudden way — but quietly, as the last fluent speakers grow older and pass away without anyone left to carry the language forward. Linguists estimate that of the roughly 7,000 languages spoken on Earth today, as many as 40% are at risk of disappearing within this century.
Right now, somewhere in the world, a language is dying. Not in a dramatic, sudden way — but quietly, as the last fluent speakers grow older and pass away without anyone left to carry the language forward. Linguists estimate that of the roughly 7,000 languages spoken on Earth today, as many as 40% are at risk of disappearing within this century.
From the Kalahari to the Nile Valley, these ten African languages are down to their last generations of speakers. Here's why they matter.
Recorded in Askira Uba, Borno State — a region living through active banditry and displacement. For this contributor, Kibaku isn't a hobby project: losing the language means losing the culture it carries.