The Economist:
A third of the world's languages are at riskIt's ludicrous to see this as unexpected or anything but inevitable. The point of language is communication, and the utility of knowing a particular form of communication is directly related to how many people you can communicate with. It makes perfect sense that as the world becomes more interconnected, fewer languages will have value because fewer people will be able to comprehend them relative to all the other people you have an opportunity to communicate with. That's not colonial, it's mere globalization.
Around a quarter of the world's population speaks just three languages: Mandarin, English and Spanish. But out of the 6,700 of the world's identified languages, nearly 2,500 are deemed at risk according to UNESCO, the UN's cultural body. The imposition of a colonial language long ago in big countries such as Brazil and America is still endangering the diversity of native tongues. In America, 53 languages have become extinct since 1950, more than in any other country
It is amazing how many languages are in danger. When these languages die so does part of our knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI would like to document and increase awareness of some of these cultures. I have entered a contest to win "your dream photography assignment" my idea is to document some of these cultures. Please check out my idea at:
http://www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/clayjar/endangered-cultures-a-language-disappears-every-14-days/
I need people to vote for my idea in order to make it to the judging stage. Thanks in advance for those who vote.
> When these languages die so does part of our knowledge.
ReplyDeleteWhen VHS beat out Betamax did part of our knowledge die with it?
When Bluray beat out HD DVD did part of our knowledge die with it?
Survival of the fittest, anyone?. Any knowledge of value can and should be translated to non-dying languages.
Color me unamazed at language disappearances.
But have fun with your project; I got nothing against documenting culture before it disappears, just like I have nothing against archaeologic study of those that already have disappeared.
Also... phonographs, records, 8-tracks, cassettes, floppy disks...the telegraph...all these things are languages.
ReplyDeleteBut like dead spoken and handwritten languages they were used to store/communicate real knowledge of value.
As they died off, the useful stored knowledge has been transfered elsewhere and the old ways of communicating are replaced by new ways.