Endangered Languages And Global Language Loss
From what has been retrieved so far, it is evident that man is social naturally. His need or temperament to bond and blend with his fellows for a purpose is his fundamental characteristic. To understand and to be understood by all and sundry, man was compelled to produce a medium of exchange which we all now refer to as a ‘Language’. Language is an intricate amalgam of several factors; maybe it is a social creation, and if not then a human subconscious invention for the entire community. Analogically, a language can be equated to an institution, a body of unwritten laws and rules, yet followed enthusiastically. It can also be said that the formation of a language was just a mere accident in the social life and cultural growth of a community. Assuming the fact that at some period of time, great chosen men of God were engaged in making, creating and laying expressions for the use of their descendants, is a great misconception. The formation of a novel language is a continuous process and varies in rate and kind according to the circumstances and habits of the speakers. Nevertheless, the best part of it is that it never ceases; this process has no downtime lest all its speakers perish.
Language Hotspot
In most cases, language or ‘linguistic identity’ is often correlated to ‘cultural identity’. Linguistic identity is identifying a group of people speaking the same language. An example of which are the people in Wales who speak Welsh and identify themselves as such and not English; all owing to their common language. Linguistic identity can be correlated to cultural identity as language programs people to think in a certain way, thus creating a culture. Hence, it can be said that the way one behaves culturally is determined by the language that they grow up with. Using the above example, the culture created by the Welsh is different from that of the English; if Welsh were to become extinct, then their culture would be significantly influenced and would, unfortunately, disappear as well. This has happened in France wherein, the Bretons have lost their language and their cultural inheritance is perishing. This was primarily due to the state’s imposition of the French language and the prohibition of Breton to be taught in schools.
Global Language Loss
It can safely be said that the loss of a language is equivalent to the loss of a culture. Moreover, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lists a total of 577 languages as critically endangered; which means that we are on the brink of losing 577 cultures and their way of living simultaneously. Most linguists agree that there are more than 5,000 languages spoken in the world. A century from now, it is believed that the number may decrease by half. Studies have predicted that the total could drop to a mere hundred, as the majority of the world’s population will give their way to languages like English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Indonesian, Arabic, Swahili, and Hindi. The endangered languages are typically spoken by minority communities. Surprisingly these communities account for most of the world’s languages. They include the tribes of Papua New Guinea, who alone speak a total of more than 900 languages; the indigenous people of Australia, the natives of America, the national and tribal minorities of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the marginalized Europeans such as the Irish, the Frisians, the Provençal, and the Basques, all of who speak several thousand languages.
Although language loss may be intentional or reflex, it involves an external compression. This is often regarded as a loss of social identity or a mark of defeat. Language is a dominant symbol of any group’s identity. Though this doesn’t signify that a group’s social identity is always lost when its language is lost; for example, both the Chumash in California and the Manx on the Isle of Man have lost their native languages, but not their identity. Most of the traditional, mystical and intellectual life of a community is practised through language. This may range from devotions, folklores, ceremonies, verse, eloquence, and technical vocabulary to daily greetings, leave-takings, conversational flairs, hilarity, deeds, and emotions. When a language is lost, the range of activities must be altered in a fresh language having dissimilar words, sounds as well as grammar to uphold it in an identical way. Frequently fluctuating traditions are abruptly misdirected in this course and are substituted by the cultural habits of the authoritative community. For these aims, it is imperative for the community to preserve and maintain its specific language. A lot of it has also been missed from the scientific point of view. A person’s past is passed down through his language. Thus, when a language disappears, it may take with it the vital evidence about the antiquity of the community. The loss of human languages also sternly limits what linguists can acquire about human perception. This, in turn, enlightens us upon the human mind. The rarer languages we have, the lesser is the study possible about the human mind.
It can be safely said that the preservation of languages is the need of the hour. A community that wants to preserve or recover its language has numerous choices. Perhaps the most dramatic story is that of the Modern Hebrew, which was revived as a mother tongue, centuries after being learnt. Since many languages have turned endangered, linguists are trying to study as much as possible about them, so that even if the language disappears, their knowledge would not be in threat. Researchers are making videotapes, audiotapes and printed records of languages used in both formal and informal settings along with their translations. Nevertheless, one needs to ponder upon the fact that new languages are rapidly posing a threat to the endangered languages, considering the alarming rate at which they are being replaced!
