ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the degrees of endangerment of Uralic languages, as well as their overall number and classification. After describing the challenges of obtaining reliable demographic data, the chapter offers a concise assessment of all Uralic languages, including their most distinctive varieties, with a focus on the languages with the fewest speakers and the least published records. Endangered Uralic languages are classified as definitely, severely, or critically endangered, or, not unexpectedly, extinct, and the difference between dialect and language is analyzed in detail with criteria such as mutual intelligibility and territorial cohesion. Successful cases of revitalization are highlighted throughout the chapter, and sociolinguistic data on age of speakers and domains of use is provided throughout.
