World’s Most Endangered Language ‘N|uu’ Has Only One Fluent Speaker Left

In a remote village of South Africa, only one person remains who can fluently speak 'N|uu', one of the world's most endangered languages.

'N|uu' is a click language once widely spoken by the San people, the indigenous hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa. Due to colonial violence, forced displacement, and cultural suppression, the language has nearly vanished.

The Last Fluent Voice:

Ms. Katrina Esau, now over 90 years old, is the last known fluent speaker of N|uu. She has been teaching the language to younger generations, hoping to keep it alive.

"Language carries our identity and history. If it dies, we lose who we are," she said in an interview.

Linguists and cultural activists are working urgently to record and preserve N|uu, but time is running out.

This story serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of cultural heritage, and the need to protect endangered languages before they disappear forever.