Which Khoisan languages have become extinct?

Several Khoisan languages have become extinct due to complex social, economic, and linguistic pressures that have marginalized indigenous groups over the last three centuries.1

The following languages and dialects are identified as extinct:

• !Ora and Gri: These were part of the Khoekhoe subgroup and were spoken in South Africa until the first half of the 20th century.23
• !Kwi dialects: Historically spoken in South Africa, this group included languages such as |Xam, ǂXegwi, ǂNg, and |’Auni.3
• Kwadi: An extinct language formerly spoken in the Namibe region of southwestern Angola.3

Additionally, many other recorded languages and dialects have disappeared as speakers shifted to dominant languages like Afrikaans or various Bantu languages. While some surviving Khoisan languages remain, many are currently endangered, facing the risk of further extinction as linguistic transmission to younger generations ceases.21