online project to preserve endangered languages

is now getting some backing from google. cool.

Google backs online project to preserve endangered languages | Digg Topnews

 

Let em die. Languages divide people.

 

That is not necessarily true. I grew up in a multi-lingual area/household and the heritage could never be preserved without the languages. Do you have a general problem with being multi-lingual?

I do think that we need official languages to conduct our business and governmental affairs - not rules, instructions and ballots in 29 languages. :duh:

 

Just watch how people align themselves at work when they speak different languages. The tend to form cliques around a common language. I see it all the time even among people from the same country where fifty languages or more are spoken. A lot of someones culture is in their language and this is why if we all spoke a few languages we would understand one another better.

 

I support your idea; there are lot of criticism/mocking/belittle, or even discrimination of people speaking different languages. We should speak the same language in the world.

 

I don't want to get into the debate about the value of languages, but I must say that I'm extremely excited about yet another project starting to preserve and document languages. Thanks for sharing this!

 

I believe that I understand what you're saying but I think that your premise is flawed. You seem to be thinking that if I participate in a project to save an endangered language that I will necessarilly be foresaking my native tongue (English). Many many, people (maybe most people in the world) speak more than one language. If I learn Pali it doesn't follow that I will forget or neglect my use of English (or French). Life doesn't need to be "all or nothing." If it's not an interest of yours that's OK but if someone is interested in learning another language there is no need to criticize. English is quickly becoming the world language and that's OK with me. But it doesn't mean that learning a new language is a bad thing or even that it subverts the idea of a world-wide language.

 

I agree fully. Learning other languages never "divided" people. As I've seen it, it unites them. I've made effort to learn a few, including (somewhat endangered) Mohawk, some unendangered ones and a couple of so-called "dead" ones, including Latin. That language lives on in 65% of English words; there is nothing like Latin study to improve one's understanding of grammar or the exact meaning and origin of the majority of English words.

Dead, endangered or alive - there are few better things than language study to unite, foster understanding and truly educate people.

Johann

 

One of the big losses in Australia has been the death of aboriginal languages. These languages contained a wealth of knowledge concerning the local environment and local medicines. The documenting of knowledge creates a shortcut to understanding things that would otherwise be lost. Good on google.

Put two people in a room and they will soon define differences on issues other than language. The predisposition to exclude others from an "in group" seems to be a human trait. Language differences is incidental outcome, not a causation of differences .

 

I see it on a daily basis. People are looking for ways to segregate themselves and language is one of the best ways. People from India who speak some regional language click together. People from China have lunch every day together and never have lunch with others. Its human nature because its painful to speak to someone from another language so you just give up and fail to communicate with the richness that you can with your native tongue. If we had one language we would be a much closer society.

 

Ni hao (Hi)

No it isn't - not yet. It's third - and still WAY below Mandarin in the charts - and likely will be for a long, long time, due to population. Spanish has a slight edge over English. Now, that margin might erode... have a look here:

List of languages by number of native speakers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think "the" world language is an illusory concept at this stage.

She She. Zai Jen (Thanks -- 'bye)

Johann

BTW - Nation with largest number of English-speakers: India, with 800 million+

 

There are places online which can be used for it,But people normally stays confused about using what should be the one because that is needed.I am personally thinking of doing the one so it can be learn in the needed way.