Languages may lose native speakers over generations and continue to decrease in the number of speakers until the language has no more speakers, then the language is considered extinct– or a dead language. Something that also relates to a language dying is when there are little to no (written or auditory) records of the language and it cannot be translated or understood. When a language dies, linguists may try to gather records of words and sounds in the language and document them to make sense of it. They can make a dictionary of words and auditory recordings of sounds. Linguists may also reach out to natives of the geographical area the language was spoken and collaborate to try to revive the language or atleast get it on paper. A dead language can be brought back to life and we can look at the Siletz language as an example of a language revival. A native speaker of the Siletz language has created a dictionary online with the goal of a pool of people large enough to learn it so that the language won't disappear. The Siletz language is also now taught in schools in its region, and kids are encouraged to learn it. Now, there are many institutes, such as the Living Tongues Institute, help fund dictionary projects and those trying to revive or save their dying language.
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Hi Maya--
Bringing a dead language back is something that almost seems like a miracle. Do you think that it's possible that once-dead languages like Siletz that were brought back can become widely spoken languages in the future?