Did you know that many languages around the world are disappearing? According to UNESCO, about 3,000 languages could vanish by the end of this century. That’s like losing one language every two weeks! Out of the 8,324 languages listed in the World Atlas of Languages, around 7,000 are still spoken today. This means nearly 43% of languages might disappear, especially those spoken by indigenous peoples. To help save these languages, the United Nations has declared 2022 to 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, aiming to protect and promote them.
Sadly, some languages have already disappeared or are at risk of extinction. Let’s explore a few of these languages and some that are being revived in the United States.
Before we dive into specific languages, let’s understand what it means for a language to be “dead” or “extinct.” A dead language is one that no longer has native speakers in a community, like Latin, which is still used in some contexts. An extinct language is one that is no longer spoken at all. Some languages are considered dormant, meaning they aren’t used in daily life but still hold cultural significance for a community.
One reason many indigenous languages have disappeared is the forced assimilation of indigenous children into boarding schools, where they were punished for speaking their native languages. This historical trauma has led to the loss of many languages. Linguists like Connor Quinn, who worked on preserving the Penobscot language, argue that terms like “dead” and “dying” don’t fully capture the complex reasons behind language loss.
Eyak: Eyak was a language spoken in Alaska. Its last fluent speaker, Chief Marie Smith Jones, passed away in 2008, marking the extinction of the language. Despite her efforts to create a dictionary and grammar rules, Eyak did not survive among a larger group.
Yana: The Yana language, with its various dialects, was spoken in North Central California. The Gold Rush brought diseases and violence that devastated the Yana people. Ishi, the last speaker of the Yahi dialect, worked with linguist Edward Sapir to preserve some of the language before his death in 1916.
Penobscot: Once spoken widely in Maine, Penobscot had only a few elderly speakers by the mid-20th century. Frank Seabird and Carol Dana have worked to document and teach the language to new generations.
Tunica: The last native speaker of Tunica, Cotri Yusan, spoke mostly French and English. He collaborated with linguist Mary Hos to document what he remembered. Today, Tunica is considered dormant, with about 60 speakers.
Tillamook: Part of the Salishan language family, Tillamook was spoken in the Pacific Northwest. The last known speaker died in 1972.
Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language: This sign language was once common on Martha’s Vineyard but declined in the mid-19th century. The last fluent signer passed away in the 1950s.
Albany Dutch and Jersey Dutch: These dialects emerged after Dutch settlers arrived in the 1600s. By the late 19th century, they were in decline, but some words were preserved in 1910.
Languages are a vital part of cultural identity and history. Efforts to preserve and revive them are crucial for maintaining the rich diversity of human expression. Let’s continue to learn about and support these important initiatives!
Choose one of the lost or endangered languages mentioned in the article. Research its history, cultural significance, and current status. Create a presentation to share with the class, highlighting efforts to revive or preserve the language. This will help you understand the importance of language preservation.
Imagine you are part of a team working to revive a dormant language. Develop a plan that includes strategies for teaching the language to new generations, such as community classes, online resources, or cultural events. Present your plan to the class and discuss its potential impact.
Reach out to a linguist or cultural expert who works with indigenous languages. Prepare questions about their work, challenges they face, and the importance of language preservation. Share your findings with the class to gain insights into real-world efforts to save languages.
Organize a Language and Culture Day at your school. Invite speakers, showcase traditional music, dance, and food from communities whose languages are at risk. This event will help raise awareness and appreciation for linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.
Work in groups to create a mini-dictionary for one of the languages discussed in the article. Include common phrases, greetings, and cultural notes. Share your dictionary with classmates and discuss how language shapes cultural identity.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Here’s a sobering statistic: according to UNESCO, before the end of the century, some 3,000 languages could die out. That’s roughly one language every two weeks. To put that into perspective, the World Atlas of Languages has put the number of languages at 8,324, with around 7,000 still being used, which means that about 43% of languages are due to disappear. Most of those languages will be the ones spoken by the world’s indigenous peoples. Preserving these languages is so important that the United Nations declared 2022 to 2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, hoping to create sustainable changes for the preservation, revitalization, and promotion of indigenous languages.
Unfortunately, some languages have already died or are on their way to extinction, and we’re going to talk about some of them, as well as some languages that are finding new life in the U.S. In this episode of the List Show, let’s get started.
Before we discuss dead languages, let’s clarify what a dead language is. According to the language website Babel, a dead language is no longer the native language of a community of people, which is why Latin qualifies, even though we still use parts of it. An extinct language, on the other hand, is no longer spoken at all. Languages can also be dormant; in that case, according to the language website Ethnologue, they aren’t used for daily life but still have an ethnic community that associates itself with that language and views it as a symbol of their identity.
The forced placement of indigenous children in boarding or residential schools, where they were punished for speaking their native tongues, is one reason why so many of these languages have died out. Some linguists, like Connor Quinn, who worked to preserve Penobscot, argue that terms like “dead” and “dying” imply a natural process, while the reality is more complex.
One language categorized as dormant is Eyak, which lost its last fluent native speaker, Chief Marie Smith Jones of Anchorage, Alaska, when she passed away in January 2008. Jones was also believed to be the last full-blooded Eyak. With her death, Eyak became the first Alaskan native language to become extinct in recent history. Jones helped create an Eyak dictionary and compiled the language’s grammar rules, but unfortunately, the language did not carry on among a large group of people.
The Yana language consisted of several dialects spoken by the Yana people of North Central California. However, their language did not survive past the mid-20th century. The Gold Rush brought diseases that devastated the Yana people, and white settlers massacred many of them. One Yana dialect, called Yahi, was spoken by a man named Ishi, who helped linguist Edward Sapir preserve some of the language. When Ishi died in 1916, that marked the end of Yahi.
Penobscot, a dialect of the Eastern Abnaki language, was once spoken over large areas of Maine. By the mid-20th century, only a couple dozen elderly native speakers remained. Its last fluent native speaker died in the early 1990s. Frank Seabird, a pathologist turned self-taught linguist, began preserving Penobscot in the 1930s. He worked with Carol Dana, a member of the Penobscot Nation, to document the language, and she is now teaching it to the next generation.
The last native speaker of Tunica, which was spoken by the Tunica tribe, was a man named Cotri Yusan. He didn’t have a full grasp of the language, as he typically spoke French and English after his mother’s death in 1915. Yusan worked with linguist Mary Hos to document what he remembered, but the process was imperfect. Tunica is now classified as dormant, with around 60 speakers today.
The Salishan language family includes 23 languages spoken in the Pacific Northwest. One of these languages, Tillamook, was spoken by a tribe encountered by Lewis and Clark. By the end of the century, the number of fluent speakers had dwindled significantly. The last known speaker of Tillamook died in 1972.
Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language was once widely used in the deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard. However, it began to decline in the mid-19th century, and the last fluent signer died in the 1950s.
After settlers from the Netherlands arrived in the Americas in the 1600s, variants of Dutch emerged in the Northeast. By the end of the 19th century, these dialects, known as Albany Dutch and Jersey Dutch, were in decline. Around 700 words of Jersey Dutch were preserved in 1910.
Thanks for watching this episode of the List Show. We’ll see you next time!
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This version maintains the core information while removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate phrasing.
Languages – Systems of communication used by a particular country or community – There are over 7,000 languages spoken around the world today.
Indigenous – Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native – Indigenous languages often hold key insights into the history and culture of a region.
Extinct – No longer in existence; having no living members – Latin is considered an extinct language because it is no longer spoken as a native language.
Dead – A language that is no longer spoken in daily activities but may be used in specific contexts – Sanskrit is a dead language that is still used in religious ceremonies in India.
Cultural – Relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society – Cultural traditions are often passed down through generations via storytelling and language.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs – Understanding the history of a language can reveal much about the people who spoke it.
Preservation – The act of maintaining something in its original or existing state – The preservation of indigenous languages is crucial for maintaining cultural diversity.
Assimilation – The process of taking in and fully understanding information or ideas – Language assimilation can lead to the loss of unique dialects and cultural identities.
Dialects – Varieties of a language that are distinct in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation – The United States has many regional dialects, each with its own unique expressions and accents.
Diversity – The state of being diverse; variety – Linguistic diversity is important for fostering a rich and inclusive global culture.
