Nhengatu is a language which is spoken by Indians in the lower Vaup�s, I�ana, and Negro River areas of Amazonas, Brazil, and in parts of Colombia and Venezuela. It is spoken by 3000 people in Brazil, 3000 in Colombia and 2000 in Venezuela. The language belongs to Tupi-Guarani language subfamily.
Língua Geral (Portuguese: literally, 'common' or 'general language') is the name of two distinct lingua francas spoken in Brazil: Língua Geral Paulista, now extinct; and Língua Geral Amazônica with its modern descendant Nhengatu.
The two languages were used in the Jesuit missions and by early colonists; and came to be used by fl slaves and other Indian groups.
Língua Geral Paulista (or Tupi Austral) was based on the language of the Tupi of São Vicente, São Paulo, and the upper Tietê River.
Other language groups moving into a language's traditional territory has been a cause of loss, as with the Hawaiian people, who are now only about 20% of the total population in their traditional territory.
The Mapia language in Irian Jaya, Indonesia, is a Micronesian language linguistically, 180 miles north of the main coast of Irian Jaya.
The second language is used for all important functions except perhaps family, the people are mildly supportive toward their language, and the language is endangered according to the report.
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