When Languages Die

When Languages Die

Author: K. David Harrison

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0195372069

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It is commonly agreed by linguists and anthropologists that the majority of languages spoken now around the globe will likely disappear within our lifetime. This text focuses on the question: what is lost when a language dies?


Atlas of the world's languages in danger of disappearing

Atlas of the world's languages in danger of disappearing

Author: Wurm, Stephen A.

Publisher: UNESCO

Published: 2001-07-17

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13: 9231037986

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Close to half of the 6,000 languges spoken in the world are doomed or likely to disappear in the foreseeable future. The disappearance of any language is an irreparable loss for the heritage of all humankind. This new edition of the Atlas, first published in 1996, is intended to give a graphic picture of the magnitude of the problem and a comprehensive list of languages in danger.


The Last Speakers

The Last Speakers

Author: K. David Harrison

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 2010-09-21

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 1426206682

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Part travelogue and part scientist's notebook, The Last Speakers is the poignant chronicle of author K. David Harrison's expeditions around the world to meet with last speakers of vanishing languages. The speakers' eloquent reflections and candid photographs reveal little-known lifeways as well as revitalization efforts to teach disappearing languages to younger generations. Thought-provoking and engaging, this unique book illuminates the global language-extinction crisis through photos, graphics, interviews, traditional wisdom never before translated into English, and first-person essays that thrillingly convey the adventure of science and exploration.


One Thousand Languages

One Thousand Languages

Author: Peter Austin

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 9780520255609

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Presents an overview of the living, endangered, and extinct languages of the world, providing the total number of speakers of the language, its history, and maps of the geographic areas where it is presently spoken or where it was spoken in the past.


Extinct Languages

Extinct Languages

Author: Johannes Friedrich

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2021-10-26

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 1504068033

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A noted linguist examines extinct languages, from Egyptian hieroglyphs to the mysteries of as-yet undeciphered writings, in this scholarly work. While certain ancient languages were passed down continuously through the ages, many others were ignored for centuries. When scholars began to decipher these extinct languages in the early nineteenth century, they uncovered previously inaccessible riches of knowledge and history. Yet much work remains to be done on undeciphered scripts that continue to tantalize and perplex us today. In Extinct Languages, linguist Johannes Friedrich guides readers through the fascinating world of recovered systems of writing, including Egyptian and Hittite hieroglyphs, Babylonian cuneiform, and others. He also explains the methodology and principles behind the deciphering process that will one day crack ancient mysteries such as the Indus Valley script.


Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages

Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages

Author: Christopher Moseley

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2008-03-10

Total Pages: 946

ISBN-13: 1135796408

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The concern for the fast-disappearing language stocks of the world has arisen particularly in the past decade, as a result of the impact of globalization. This book appears as an answer to a felt need: to catalogue and describe those languages, making up the vast majority of the world's six thousand or more distinct tongues, which are in danger of disappearing within the next few decades. Endangerment is a complex issue, and the reasons why so many of the world's smaller, less empowered languages are not being passed on to future generations today are discussed in the book's introduction. The introduction is followed by regional sections, each authored by a notable specialist, combining to provide a comprehensive listing of every language which, by the criteria of endangerment set out in the introduction, is likely to disappear within the next few decades. These languages make up ninety per cent of the world's remaining language stocks. Each regional section comprises an introduction that deals with problems of language preservation peculiar to the area, surveys of known extinct languages, and problems of classification. The introduction is followed by a list of all known languages within the region, endangered or not, arranged by genetic affiliation, with endangered and extinct languages marked. This listing is followed by entries in alphabetical order covering each language listed as endangered. Useful maps are provided to pinpoint the more complex clusters of smaller languages in every region of the world. The Encyclopedia therefore provides in a single resource: expert analysis of the current language policy situation in every multilingual country and on every continent, detailed descriptions of little-known languages from all over the world, and clear alphabetical entries, region by region, of all the world's languages currently thought to be in danger of extinction. The Encyclopedia of the World’s Endangered Languages will be a necessary addition to all academic linguistics collections and will be a useful resource for a range of readers with an interest in development studies, cultural heritage and international affairs.


Language Endangerment and Language Revitalization

Language Endangerment and Language Revitalization

Author: Tasaku Tsunoda

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2013-02-06

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 3110896583

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In almost every part of the world, minority languages are threatened with extinction. At the same time, dedicated efforts are being made to document endangered languages, to maintain them, and even to revive once-extinct languages. The present volume examines a wide range of issues that concern language endangerment andlanguage revitalization. Among other things, it is shown that languages may be endangered to different degrees, endangerment situations in selected areas of the world are surveyed and definitions of language death and types of language death presented. The book also examines causes of language endangerment, speech behaviour in a language endangerment situation, structural changes in endangered languages, as well as types of speakers encountered in a language endangerment situation. In addition, methods of documentation and of training for linguists are proposed which will enable scholars to play an active role in the documentation of endangered languages and in language revitalization. The book presents a comprehensive overview of the field. It is clearly written and contains ample references to the relevant literature, thus providing useful guidance for further research. The author often draws on his own experience of documenting endangered languages and of language revival activities in Australia. The volume is of interest to a wide readership, including linguists, anthropologists, sociologists, and educators.


The Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages

The Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages

Author: Peter K. Austin

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-03-24

Total Pages: 581

ISBN-13: 113950083X

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It is generally agreed that about 7,000 languages are spoken across the world today and at least half may no longer be spoken by the end of this century. This state-of-the-art Handbook examines the reasons behind this dramatic loss of linguistic diversity, why it matters, and what can be done to document and support endangered languages. The volume is relevant not only to researchers in language endangerment, language shift and language death, but to anyone interested in the languages and cultures of the world. It is accessible both to specialists and non-specialists: researchers will find cutting-edge contributions from acknowledged experts in their fields, while students, activists and other interested readers will find a wealth of readable yet thorough and up-to-date information.


Cataloguing the World's Endangered Languages

Cataloguing the World's Endangered Languages

Author: Lyle Campbell

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-02-02

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 131741389X

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Cataloguing the World’s Endangered Languages brings together the results of the extensive and influential Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ELCat) project. Based on the findings from the most extensive endangered languages research project, this is the most comprehensive source of accurate information on endangered languages. The book presents the academic and scientific findings that underpin the online Catalogue, located at www.endangeredlanguages.com, making it an essential companion to the website for academics and researchers working in this area. While the online Catalogue displays much data from the ELCat project, this volume develops and emphasizes aspects of the research behind the data and includes topics of great interest in the field, not previously covered in a single volume. Cataloguing the World’s Endangered Languages is an important volume of particular interest to academics and researchers working with endangered languages.