There are 6,912 living languages according to the Ethnologue. Of these there are 516 nearly extinct languages. Once language death occurs it’s very hard to resurrect a language because you need real live native speakers. Hebrew and perhaps Cornish are two successful examples of languages resurected. A language is considered living if there are native speakers who can transform and reinvent the language to modern life or let it evolve. This is different then a dead language which is spoken by scholars who do not modify it according to their environment and usage.
I think with linguistic forensics for languages that have died, and computer technology for sound replication or estimates extrapolated, anthropological linguists can resurrect at least in a Frankensteinian way in the lab some dead languages.
Why is it important to keep nearly extinct languages alive or at least a full record of their sounds? It’s important because a language tells a lot about the people who use it. For example Native American languages use metaphors connected with nature and combine words into one long super word. And this entire word might be a metaphor. Something likes “TheLakeThatSpreadsFromAcrossTheGreenMoutains.
Another reason is it is interesting and we can begin to understand the interconnectedness and origins or languages and people.
Languages tell us about the hows and whys of our brains and minds.
Leave a reply to Living, languages, nearly extinct, dead and resurrected languages