Dying Languages

[Esternial]

Come on, theres only two people who speak it left, and they won't speak to each other. Thats funny.

No, it's really not

That's irony for ya.

[Serrland]

Welsh has of course survived by far the best out of the Celtic languages, I'd suggest that was because it had a far more solid ongoing base that when government interference came along it was able to resist better. But I'm not hugely well versed on the histories of Irish and Scots gaelic.

Welsh survived as well as it did largely due to a single book published in 1588: Henry Morgan's Welsh Bible.

It was the only one of the British Celtic languages where a Bible translation was sanctioned, and where church services were permitted in the local language. In a period where Church attendance was both religious and political, the importance of Elizabeth I's decision to sanction an official Welsh Bible - some decades before the King James Version - is hard to underestimate.

Thanks for that neat tidbit of information. I never knew about that, I'll look more into it.

[Forsakia]

Welsh has of course survived by far the best out of the Celtic languages, I'd suggest that was because it had a far more solid ongoing base that when government interference came along it was able to resist better. But I'm not hugely well versed on the histories of Irish and Scots gaelic.

Welsh survived as well as it did largely due to a single book published in 1588: Henry Morgan's Welsh Bible.

It was the only one of the British Celtic languages where a Bible translation was sanctioned, and where church services were permitted in the local language. In a period where Church attendance was both religious and political, the importance of Elizabeth I's decision to sanction an official Welsh Bible - some decades before the King James Version - is hard to underestimate.

Psst, William Morgan. Henry Morgan's the Pirate/rum.

[Varazhdin]

Simply, a language is a merker of identity for the group who speaks it, something that links people to their ancestors who have spoken it before.

And if the group to which the language belongs died off? Then what principle could there be? In this case, these groups are dying off. They have not earned preservation.

Dying off in which sense? That there are no more decendants in this group to continue the language, or that the people who do speak it change to another language?

[Lackadaisical2]

Actually, it's pretty damned hilarious.

And you are English? American? A user of a language that most likely will not be dead for thousands of years? For me it isnt funny at all, it is just bad, sadistic humour.

I'd be surprised if the English I use today is recognizable in 500 years, let alone a thousand.

[Shper]

And you are English? American? A user of a language that most likely will not be dead for thousands of years? For me it isnt funny at all, it is just bad, sadistic humour.

I'd be surprised if the English I use today is recognizable in 500 years, let alone a thousand.

Thanks to the internet and near 100% literacy rate of English-speakers, it's speculated that the English language is going to be a lot more stagnant than it was during Chaucer's day.

That's a horrible thing to say.


That's happened here as well. There was a time when speaking Irish at school or in public would've earned you a beating, or even being killed. It's still mostly frowned upon in Northern Ireland, but that has more to do with being ignorant of the language that hating it.

So, Nynorsk is the true language, while Bokmål has so much Danish in it that it is not truly Norwegian anymore?

Well, Old Norse, which was used in Norway long back ago, was extinct in the Norwegian-Danish union by the Danes, so there were only Danish written language in Norway. In the late 1800s, two languages were formed, one, Nynorsk, made by Ivar Aasen from Sunnmøre in Western Norway, based on Old Norse and the Norwegian Dialcets, and another, Bokmål, made by Knut Knudsen from Oslo in eastern Norway, based on Danish and Oslo dialect (which for a long time was a Danish colony).

Ah, I see. It makes sense for Nynorsk to be the more "pure" language then.

[SD_Film Artists]

"British heritage" is a social construct, carefully engineered by the English and Scottish ruling classes during the time of the British Empire to give the common man something to work for. The fact that Celtic nationalists are finally wising up is a sign that those imperial days are at an end.

All types of heritage are social constructs.

Indeed- if you go back far enough we are all Ethiopian.

And Native Americans (or at least those who still believe in a certain Native American religion) refuse to accept that their ancestors came from Asia despite archaeological evidence, as they belive that their race came from the very ground* of America and are thus true Native Americas.

* though how literal that is I'm not sure.

[Esternial]

And you are English? American? A user of a language that most likely will not be dead for thousands of years? For me it isnt funny at all, it is just bad, sadistic humour.

I'd be surprised if the English I use today is recognizable in 500 years, let alone a thousand.

I'm Belgian, speaking several dialects only used in Flanders, which are slowly fading due to the influence of Dutch, and I found that hilarous.

[Der Teutoniker]

And you are English? American? A user of a language that most likely will not be dead for thousands of years? For me it isnt funny at all, it is just bad, sadistic humour.

I am unconcerned for the fate of American English. I am exactly as unconcerned for the fate of my native tongue.

So... what does who I might be have to do with anything? And the humor is a bit sadistic. And a bit freaking hilarious.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Most Indian languages are.

I view this as a good thing.

[Der Teutoniker]

They're based on minute differences in humans' genetic makeup that have been magnified by society.

Often, they are based on culture, actually.

[Vestr-Norig]

And you are English? American? A user of a language that most likely will not be dead for thousands of years? For me it isnt funny at all, it is just bad, sadistic humour.

I'd be surprised if the English I use today is recognizable in 500 years, let alone a thousand.

Well, my point is that you don't belong to a smaller language/Cultural group, where the language is dying very fast, so you probably won't see the sadness in it

[Fallos Miriai]

Every year, all around the world, languages are dying out while cultures are being forgotten. On the list of Endangered Languages of 2005 182 American languages, 152 Pacific languages, 84 Asian languages, 46 African languages and 9 European languages are at risk of dying out... That's 473 languages around the world at risk of dying out. Some of the languages have 30 speakers or less!

My question is do you think it is important to try to prevent languages from dying out?

Personally, I believe it is important to prevent languages from dying out because when a language dies out an culture dies out. Languages allow stories, songs, and beliefs to live on and while stories and languages can be translated they often loose meaning or do not have as deep of an meaning as in the original language.

I don't know all those languages. Are you including dialects? Because how is there an actual language with 30 speakers? What happens if the speakers want to talk with other people besides the other 29 people in their language? Somehow I don't think Google Translator would cover it.

[Der Teutoniker]

Well, my point is that you don't belong to a smaller language/Cultural group, where the language is dying very fast, so you probably won't see the sadness in it

Or we accept that there isn't really "sadness" in it.

If a people are unwilling, or unable to make themselves a future, they have not earned that future.

[Der Teutoniker]

What happens if the speakers want to talk with other people besides the other 29 people in their language?

They probably speak a different language.

Just a thought. Crazy, I know.

[Sovereign Spirits]

No, if a language/ culture cant survive on its own, it perhaps is not worth saving in first place.

This.

To "save" these would mean to force them onto others. Language is an art and a science, I would argue it is the former before all else. I wouldn't be against someone opening and maintaining a museum of language with independently-acquired funds.

[Der Teutoniker]

Indeed- if you go back far enough we are all Ethiopian.

In a cultural, or national sense? No.

In any real sense? Well, I already answered that question right there. ^

[Varazhdin]

Well, my point is that you don't belong to a smaller language/Cultural group, where the language is dying very fast, so you probably won't see the sadness in it

Or we accept that there isn't really "sadness" in it.

If a people are unwilling, or unable to make themselves a future, they have not earned that future.

That is the the worrying part - that people don't consider their language worth saving, and that others find such behaviour acceptable.

[Esternial]

I'd be surprised if the English I use today is recognizable in 500 years, let alone a thousand.

Well, my point is that you don't belong to a smaller language/Cultural group, where the language is dying very fast, so you probably won't see the sadness in it

My dialect is slowly being eradicated, and I lol'd.

[H-Alba]

Every year, all around the world, languages are dying out while cultures are being forgotten. On the list of Endangered Languages of 2005 182 American languages, 152 Pacific languages, 84 Asian languages, 46 African languages and 9 European languages are at risk of dying out... That's 473 languages around the world at risk of dying out. Some of the languages have 30 speakers or less!

My question is do you think it is important to try to prevent languages from dying out?

Personally, I believe it is important to prevent languages from dying out because when a language dies out an culture dies out. Languages allow stories, songs, and beliefs to live on and while stories and languages can be translated they often loose meaning or do not have as deep of an meaning as in the original language.

I don't know all those languages. Are you including dialects? Because how is there an actual language with 30 speakers? What happens if the speakers want to talk with other people besides the other 29 people in their language? Somehow I don't think Google Translator would cover it.

Romano-Greek has 30 speakers, as of 2000. Wilamowicean (Vilamovian) has 70 speakers. Ter Sami has 2 speakers, Votic has 25. These are all languages spoke in Europe.

[SD_Film Artists]

No, if a language/ culture cant survive on its own, it perhaps is not worth saving in first place.

This.

To "save" these would mean to force them onto others. Language is an art and a science, I would argue it is the former before all else. I wouldn't be against someone opening and maintaining a museum of language with independently-acquired funds.

Nothing wrong with subsidising museums and the arts. Though putting the contents of said museum on road signs and other public notices, I would object to.

[Vestr-Norig]

Well, my point is that you don't belong to a smaller language/Cultural group, where the language is dying very fast, so you probably won't see the sadness in it

Or we accept that there isn't really "sadness" in it.

If a people are unwilling, or unable to make themselves a future, they have not earned that future.

Nynorsk users in Norway often meet discrimination, because so many jobs denys people to write Nynorsk. I have often met such discimination, being a user of Nynorsk myself, and have often been refused to have Nynorsk-school books, even if I have right to it ,and beein denied to write Nynorsk many places. If you think that is funny, I really feel sad for you

[Der Teutoniker]

That is the the worrying part - that people don't consider their language worth saving, and that others find such behaviour acceptable.

Those who consider their language (or culture) worth saving should fight for it. Cultures, or languages that are unable to secure their own futures have not earned futures.

[Varazhdin]

This.

To "save" these would mean to force them onto others. Language is an art and a science, I would argue it is the former before all else. I wouldn't be against someone opening and maintaining a museum of language with independently-acquired funds.

Nothing wrong with subsidising museums and the arts. Though putting the contents of said museum on road signs and other public notices, I would object to.

But shouldn't something be prevented from becoming just a museum exhibit in the first place?

[Der Teutoniker]

Nynorsk users in Norway often meet discrimination, because so many jobs denys people to write Nynorsk. I have often met such discimination, being a user of Nynorsk myself, and have often been refused to have Nynorsk-school books, even if I have right to it ,and beein denied to write Nynorsk many places. If you think that is funny, I really feel sad for you

Can you write, or speak in Norwegian?

Have you fought to secure the future of your preferred language?