Endangered Languages

Prof. Sharon Hargus

LING 200, Spring 2006

OverviewLinguistic diversityLinguistic extinctionConsequences of linguistic extinctionThe role of linguists

Linguistic Diversity

Estimating linguistic diversity6912 languages (Gordon 2005. http://www.ethnologue.com) Spoken and signed languagesCounting difficulties Dialect vs. language issue Poorly documented languages

Distribution of world’s languages

area apx % of world’s lgs

Europe 3Americas 15Africa 30Australia and Pacific

19

Asia 32Map on next slide

What creates linguistic diversity?

Incremental changes to Grammar LexiconEnglish of Belfast, N. IrelandDivergence historically enhanced by isolation of speech communities

Another way of estimating linguistic diversity

• Language families: tree model of divergence• E.g., Celtic languages Proto-Celtic Continental Insular Gaulish Goidelic Brythonic

Irish Manx Scots Gaelic Welsh Cornish Breton

Linguistic diversity in terms of language families

# remote familiesAmericas 122-141Australia and Pacific 47Europe and N. Asia 14-15Africa 5-14

188-217

•Language family estimates from Nichols 1990•Geographic distribution of language families

Map on next slide

Distribution of language families

Each dot = 1 family of apx. 3000-yr time-depth

Americas

Australia

AsiaEurope

Africa

Pacific Northwest families

Athabaskan, Salishan, Penutian, Numic, Chimakuan, Wakashan

Diversity summaryBest measure of diversity is number of families, not languages The languages within a family are all

more similar to each other than they are to languages outside their family.

Greatest areas of linguistic diversity Americas Australia, New Guinea

Linguistic Extinction

Linguistic extinctionDiversification is normalExtinction is also normalSome extinct languages of Europe Gaulish, Manx, Cornish (all Celtic) ‘Pictish’ (formerly spoken in Scotland) Etruscan (formerly spoken in Italy)

Irish Gaelic, a Celtic language

https://depts.washington.edu/llc/olr/linguistics/clips/

•Yellow areas of map show places where native speakers of Irish Gaelic are most numerous within Ireland.• 1000 years ago all of Ireland would have been colored yellow.

Historical rates of linguistic survival

Estimates from Nichols 1990Typical historical scenario

Until recently, linguistic diversity has been increasing

Ancestor Language

Daughter1 Daughter2 Daughter3

5-6000 years later … 1.6 languages < 1 Ancestor Lg…

Projections of linguistic diversity

‘Moribund’ languages‘Endangered’ languagesKrauss 1992 estimate: 50-90% loss in coming century

Estimates of projected extinction

516 of the world’s languages are ‘nearly extinct’ “only a few elderly speakers are still living”

Africa: 46 languages Americas: 170 languages Asia: 78 languages Europe: 12 languages Pacific: 210 languages

< Summer Institute of Linguistics (www.ethnologue.com)

North AmericaIn 1996, 208 languages (Goddard 1996) 62 families and isolates 71% spoken by middle-aged and

older 14% spoken by parents of young

children 15% being learned by children as L1At first contact with Europeans, roughly 400 languages

Estimates of projected extinction

area % moribund languages

Alaska and Siberia 90%

US and Canada 80%

Central America, Mexico 17%

S. America 27%

N. and S. America 33%

Australia 90%

< Krauss 1992

Makah (Wakashan family)Formerly spoken in Washington state2002, 2 speakers 0 speakers

NavajoHow quickly a language can become endangered 1970: 90% of children in boarding schools

lacked preschool experience with English 1990s. 2 independent estimates:

50%+ Head Start children are monolingual English speakers

50% of 5-year-olds have no knowledge of Navajo; only about 16% are competent speakers

Why languages dieGenocide of speakers War (e.g. Wounded Knee) EpidemicsSpeech community displacement (e.g. Trail of Tears)

Why languages dieDifferences in the power and prestige of social groups

Incentives to learn language of dominant group No incentives to learn language of non-

dominant group

social group B (and their lg)

social group A (and their lg)

Why languages dieBombardment of dominant language Media: TV, radio, newspaper Non-speakers living in community:

grandchildren etc.Language suppression in education Language of primary education Language of higher education

Extinction summaryLgc extinction has been a fact of historyCurrent rates of loss are unprecedentedLanguages can become endangered in one generationDiverse causes of endangerment

Consequences of linguistic extinction

Positive consequences of lg loss

Unity in the workplace “The only thing I asked was, ‘Let’s work

together in a language we can all understand’.” [Owner of Texas insurance company, re the firing of 3 Spanish speakers for chatting in Spanish during the workday.] The Texas Workforce Commission sided with the owner, and denied the women unemployment benefits. (“Clash of Cultures Tears Texas City”, New York Times, 9-30-97)

Positive consequences of lg loss

Savings to taxpayers Canada: all federal services,

documents must be provided in both French, English Canadian customs form: 6 pages U.S. customs form: 2 pages

U.S.: elections pamphlets in different languages ($$)

Positive consequences of lg loss

Better socio-economic outlook In 1995, ‘an Amarillo judge sparked a national

controversy when he ordered a Mexican-American woman involved in a custody dispute to speak English to her 5-year-old daughter. Otherwise, he said, “You’re abusing that child and you’re relegating her to the position of housemaid.” (The judge later issued an apology to the woman and to “the profession of housekeeping.”)

Negative consequencesScientific Theories about language based on

6700 languages, 200 familiesvs. 200 languages, 20 familiesvs. 12 languages, 5 families

Negative consequencesCultural Language as a symbol of culture

Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic opening ceremony: Indian nations of Utah (Shoshoni, N. Paiute, S. Paiute, Navajo) made welcoming presentations in their own languages (not translated into English)

Sample attitudes about language and culture Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council language policy: "Our

ancient language is the foundation of our cultural and spiritual heritage..."

Damon Clarke (Hualapai): "For many of us, our language is the key. The key in thinking, our educational system, and our ways."

Rosa Gonzalez (Spanish): “This is what I am.”

Negative consequencesLoss of local knowledge Biological Geographical Dictionary as cultural repository

The role of linguists

Linguists and endangered languages

What are linguists doing?What should linguists be doing?What shouldn’t linguists be doing?3 points of view Krauss Ladefoged Dorian

Krauss’s point of viewLinguists need to support endangered lgs Organized documentation effort Devote time to creation of pedagogical

materials Advocate for languagesThe field of linguistics needs to support linguists involved in documentation Rethink grad school requirements Rethink criteria for promotion and tenure

Ladefoged’s point of viewLinguists should document lgs with ‘professional detachment’Linguists shouldn’t meddle in politics Linguists shouldn’t try to persuade speakers to have certain viewpoints about language Speakers may view monolingualism in

lg of dominant group as essential

Dorian’s point of viewDocumentation of minority languages is inherently politicalLinguists’ intervention probably of no consequence for lg survival anywayLanguage loss is catastrophic for descendants of speakers for linguistics

Thorough lg documentation takes a toll on linguistsLadefoged-style documentation of the phonetics doesn’t require as much fieldwork time as other types of language documentation

Language and politics in N. Ireland

(GaelicPolitics)

https://depts.washington.edu/llc/olr/linguistics/clips/

Draft United Nations declaration

on the rights of indigenous peoples (adopted 1994) Part III, Article 14

Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.

Part IV, Article 15 Indigenous children have the right to all levels and forms

of education of the State. All indigenous peoples also have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.

United States1990 Native American Languages ActSEC. 102. The Congress finds that--

(1) the status of the cultures and languages of native Americans is unique and the United States has the

responsibility to act together with Native Americans to ensure the survival of these unique cultures and

languages; …SEC. 104. It is the policy of the United States to-- (1) preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use, practice, and

develop Native American languages; …

IrelandOfficial Languages Act 2003 http://www.coimisineir.ie/ “The official languages” means the Irish

language (being the national language and the first official language) and the English language (being a second official language)… 8.---(1) A person may use either of the official

languages in, or in any pleading in or document issuing from, any court.

…

More opinions from linguistsSummer Institute of Linguistics Endangered Languages page

http://www.sil.org/sociolx/ndg-lg-home.html Links to other resources

The Linguasphere Observatory http://www.linguasphere.org/language.html

SummaryOften, minority languages endangered moribund extinct 25% language extinction in 5000-6000

years is normal Extinction of 90% languages in 100

years is unprecedentedNegative consequences of extinction are both scientific and culturalThe role that linguists should play has been debated