Languages go extinct due to many factors like globalization, cultural assimilation, political pressure, and then things like mass death of culture due to natural causes, war or things of that nature. They don't randomly or suddenly die, it's normally a very long process. In today's day and age, there may be pressures to adopt more widely spoken languages for work, education, and other.
When a language dies, really much of a culture dies. Long standing stories, folktales, histories, and prayer languages are lost. Much of the identity is lost and unique knowledge is lost, such as knowledge and words for environmental aspects.
The way linguists can help preserve these aspects is by documenting and keeping down records and examples of said languages. In some cases, writing systems may need to be developed. Ensuring new generations being taught the language is also very important.
A dead language can be brought back to life in a sense, very much so. Real examples of reviving (not completely extinct) but less used languages include teaching of the old Irish language in schools across Ireland. Keeping Scottish Gaelic on transportation signs helps maintain some of the knowledge. Full revival of completely extinct languages is hard widespread but possible.
I found a list of programs that help document linguistic diversity and help maintain keeping languages alive:
- The Endangered Languages Project (ELP)
- UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger
- ELAR (Endangered Languages Archive)
These are the programs I found that help document language. Other examples of documenting linguistic diversity include YouTube channels about language, blogs, and other scholarly studies and works. Linguistic study is alive and well!
Replies
Hi Libby, I agree that languages really are at the heart of everything you are describing here, and the different ways of seeing parts of the world disappear with it is very sad, especially Indigenous ecological knowledge and oral traditions. Your examples of Irish and Scottish Gaelic are very interesting, and it is encouraging to see you connecting concrete revitalization efforts and documentation projects like ELP, ELAR, and UNESCO’s Atlas with the bigger idea that “linguistic study is alive and well,” because I think we do need more positive mentalities.