What is a really obscure language and how can I learn it?

Question

I was thinking of Naukan. It's some Eskimo language. Apparently only 70 people in the world speak it. I believe it is the least spoken language that isn't extinct. I would like to learn it but I have no idea where to begin. If you can't help me there, what is an obscure language that is very scarcely spoken and where can I learn it?

Answer 1

arabic is intense too. tht one sounds awesome. try the state website for alaska

Answer 2

I would reccomend Latin (not Spanish Latin) or a language that isn't spoken any more, except by scholars and such. Knowing Latin helps with learning SO many other languages. Or Sanskrit!

But hey, if you want to learn any language, even if it is barely spoken by anyone, go for it! I think it's great =)

I think you would need to look Naukan up online because I do not believe they would have any widely published material on it....you may have to dig.

Answer 3

You need to pick a language that is obscure enough that not many people learn it but not so obscure that it's impossible for you to learn without doing something drastic (like relocating to a remote tribal village in Alaska).

Not many people speak Quenya. Actually, most people who aren't literature geeks, language geeks, or fantasy geeks haven't even heard of it. Those who know it have studied it online and through special magazines and linguistic clubs (like E.L.F.). There are, of course, no living native speakers of quenya alive.

Answer 4

Three that come to mind are
Burushaski--an isolate language of the Hunza
area of Pakistan,
Ket--a nearly extinct language of Siberia,
and
Ainu--A near extinct language of Hokkaido, Japan.
For more on language isolates and a list
of them consult
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_isolate

Answer 5

ancient Chinese or ancient Greek. Norwegian/Old Norse?

Manchurian is becoming extinct: only about 20 people in the world could speak it.