Nov 06, 2014 a leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, david crystal asks the fundamental question, why is language death so important. Which two languages have been most successfully revitalized. Language death is of course not a new and not even a recent phenomenon. David crystal is a leading authority on language, and author of many books, including most recently language and the internet, cambridge, 2001. The reasons are often political, economic or cultural in nature. But does it matter as long as people can communicate.
David crystal is a british linguist who has written extensively on the multiplicity of the english language, and here also on the disappearance of languages. According to the biblical story of the tower of babel, the whole world had at one time one language and a common speech genesis 11. With globalization, the rate of language becoming extinct continues to increase alarmingly and will possibly continue to increase in the future. If their language has gone, unrecorded and unremembered, there is no way they can get it back. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the. Language death is an excellent book with which crystal sharpens our sense of the complexity of language endangerment and eventual language loss. It is sometimes also called language extinction and happens when a language loses its last native speaker. Firstly, the difference may be empirical as estimates are largely based on guesswork. Language death can be fast, when the children are taught to avoid their parents language for reasons such as work opportunities and social status.
Another example occurred in 1962 when as no doubt imported influenza killed all speakers. Pdf english as a global language david crystal faren. Russian has long been dominant in the countries of the former ussr, but there the total destruction of local languages has been estimated to be only sic 50%. As the frontispiece of this slender volume tells us, aonly 600 of the. This is a truly serious problem, and merits the attention of everyone. Aikhenvald and others published david crystal, language death. Maybe one day it will be the only language left to learn.
Crystals relatively unemotional, reasonable, and balanced approach is unlikely to ever gain him the acclaim of more populist science writers, but he is always readable and informative and language death is no exception. L33 c79 2000 417 7dc21 99053220 isbn 0 521 65321 5 hardback isbn 0 521 01271 6 paperback cover illustration designed for the book by greet egbers at home. Isbn 0 511 00859 7 virtual netlibrary edition quality. In linguistics, language death occurs when a language loses its last native speaker. Imagine, i said, what could happen if english continues to grow as it has. The phrase language death sounds as stark and final as any other in which that word makes its unwelcome appearance. Apr 29, 2002 language death includes intelligent argument and moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, as well as practical advise for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further. David crystal, world authority on the english language, presents a lively and factual account of the rise of english as a global language and explores the whys and wherefores of the history, current status and future potential of english as the. The endangerment and death of minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, david crystal asks the fundamental question, why is language death so important. Language death is widespread as many language are being replaced by english and english is now taking over all other languages as people around the world find it easy to communicate in one language.
David crystals book language death is meant to bring attention for the general public to the dire loss of indigenous languages around the worldone every two weeks on average. Thus urbanization is an important factor in language death. In language death david crystal looks at present and future threats to languages and at what can be done to counter them. Crystals work is somewhat scholarlyfootnotes abound and it is published by cambridge. Independent on sunday fascinating to the specialist and nonspecialist alike, this is an important book which puts across its point in clear accessible prose. David crystal the rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of. David crystal s book language death is meant to bring attention for the general public to the dire loss of indigenous languages around the worldone every two weeks on average. By extension, language extinction is when the language is no longer known, including by second language speakers. It could be no other way for languages have no existence without people. Identify crystal s three quasiuniversal phases of language exinction. If that happens, i concluded, it will be the greatest intellectual disaster that the planet has ever known. Languages vanish in numerous different ways, and many more. General interest language death by david crystal skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Moreover, the presence of a dominant language does not automatically result in a 90% extinction rate.
Buy language death by david crystal online at alibris. List of books and articles about language death online. The language crystal by lawrence lyons, october 1988, grammar publishing edition, paperback in english. It can, however, beckon us toward the way in which the nature of language draws us into its concern, death belongs together with what reaches out for us, touches us. At other times, minority languages survive much better, for example when the speakers try to isolate themselves against a majority population. Professor david crystal, a linguistics expert, whose book language death examines the prospects for 3,000 endangered languages. As communities lose their language they often also lose parts of their cultural traditions which are tied to that language, such as songs, myths and poetry that are not easily transferred to. Aninterna tionally renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he.
In fact, language death is a term used in linguistics with a quite specific definition. In 1887, the last speaker of a tasmanian language died, and so did the language. On which continent is language occurring with the greatest rapidity. The obvious answer would be that a language is dead when there is no one speaking it anymore.
Effects of language endangerment the language death. It can, however, beckon us toward the way in which the nature of language draws us into its concern, safe from the threat of extinction. Speakers of a minority language may, for example, decide that it is. Which language has been the object of revitalization attempts in japan. To say that a language is dead is like saying that a person is dead. Language death by david crystal 97805210127 paperback. The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. Language death provides a stimulating and accessible account of this crisis, brimming with salutary and thoughtprovoking facts and figures about a phenomenon which like the largescale destruction of the environment is both peculiarly modern and increasingly global. Language endangerment affects both the languages themselves and the people that speak them. A catalogue record for this book is available from the british library. Language death by david crystal, 2002 online research. A leading commentator on language issues, david crystal asks the question, why is language death so important. Language death is a complex issue with estimates of the worlds total languages ranging from 6,000 to 10,000, with various reasons explaining why there is such a large difference between these figures.
Other similar terms include linguicide, the death of a language from natural or political causes, and rarely glottophagy, the absorption or replacement of a minor language by a major language. The worlds languages are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Other similar terms include linguicide, the death of a language from natural or political causes, and rarely glottophagy, the absorption or. Language death includes intelligent argument and moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, as well as practical advise for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further. Identify crystals three quasiuniversal phases of language exinction. As the frontispiece of this slender volume tells us, aonly 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are safe from the threat of extinction. It refers to an african language, known as luo, that had been spoken in cameroon.
By extension, language extinction is when the language is no longer known, including by secondlanguage speakers. Language death david crystal pdf language death david crystal. Language maintenance, shift and death language maintenance denotes the continuing use of a language in the face of competition from a regionally and socially more powerful language. The language crystal october 1988 edition open library. Language death by david crystal cambridge university press. Fol lowing the death of the last mothertongue speakers of cornish. Library of congress cataloguing in publication data. Crystal revie w 3 clear that the author cares very much indeed, and that we should, too. Let us start with a wellknown myth of language birth in the days of yore.
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