A language that no longer has any living speakers is considered to have undergone language extinction. This occurs when a language is no longer actively used in any community and no new generations learn it as a first language. For instance, many indigenous languages across the globe have suffered this fate due to factors like colonization, globalization, and language shift.
The disappearance of a language represents a significant loss of cultural heritage and historical knowledge. Languages are repositories of unique worldviews, traditional practices, and ancestral histories. The decline and ultimate loss often correlates with the erosion of cultural identity and the severing of ties to ancestral lands and traditions. The study of these declines offers insights into patterns of cultural diffusion, political dominance, and the impact of globalization on local communities.