What is the primary difference between an endangered and a dying language?

Question

A: an endangered language is a category used only by UNESCO, while a dying language is a category used only by Ethnologue

B: an endangered language is one that fewer than one hundred speak, while a dying language is one that fewer than 10 people speak

C: An endangered language is one that only older people speak fluently, while a dying language is one that a culture once used as a secondary language

D: an endangered language is one threatened by extinction, while a dying language is one that the childbearing population is not capable of teaching their children

E: an endangered language is one that some younger people speak as a primary language, while a dying language is one that younger people on speak as a second language

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

D: an endangered language is one threatened by extinction, while a dying language is one that the childbearing population is not capable of teaching their children.

This response highlights the distinction between the two categories: an endangered language is at risk of becoming extinct, typically due to a decline in speakers, while a dying language indicates that the current generation (especially those who can pass it on) is unable to teach it to their offspring, leading to further decline.