Languages go extinct when there aren’t enough people speaking the language to pass it down to their descendents. Then, nobody speaks the language and that language essentially becomes dead, and the culture, such as songs and dances, dies with the language. It’s interesting to see that the elders’ children did not end up inheriting the siletz language, which was the prime example of how the siletz language was at risk of becoming extinct. Linguists can help preserve the language by creating the certain language’s dictionary and spreading the existence of the language throughout the world, such as advertising through the internet, for public exposure.
I believe dead languages can come back to life as long as there are resources about the language and a group that is determined to learn, spread, and pass down the language. Resources, such as songs, dances, stories, and dictionaries, can help the learner know about that language and its culture, which is an important aspect.
Comments