Dear Language Friend,
In this issue of our newsletter, you will find out WHY we should preserve languages on the brink of extinction, you will discover HOW languages have been revitalized, WHEN languages started to disappear, and WHAT LingoStar can do to help you communicate in endangered languages.
Contributed by Annie Pei. Thanks for reading.
Rising Awareness
Compared to a few decades ago, people around the world are increasingly aware of the number of languages on the brink of extinction and, as a result, are trying harder to save them than ever before. Whether it be the Romansh language previously spoken by a limited number of those living in Switzerland, or the Maori language based in New Zealand, more and more language revival campaigns are being carried out.
There have been a few notable successes, such as the Hebrew language which is now firmly established as the official language of Israel, but as of recent times approximately 750 languages have become extinct. Nevertheless, many organizations are still formed around the world to raise awareness, and try to bring back languages that are on the verge of disappearing forever.
Language In The Past
One of the factors contributing to the endangerment of many languages stems from suppression of local dialect. Looking back in history, it’s easy to find examples of this. One well-known instance took place in Europe many centuries ago as one empire began its expansion and virtually conquered Europe. The Romans would bring with them their own language, Latin, and impose this on every citizen in their empire. Latin was the official language of the Church, higher education, and of the nobility. Of course, commoners would also speak the language, at times mixing it with their own local dialect, resulting in the many languages we know today.
By the late 19th century to the early 20th century, many European governments, like France and Italy, were imposing the official languages so diligently to the point where many local dialects were on the brink of extinction. But in the last few decades, nationalism and a sense of regional identity have caused those languages to fight back and return, Catalan being an example in the Catalonia region of Spain. Of course, most of the world’s biggest global organizations do not recognize the great majority of those languages, but they’re still returning.
Hebrew: A Successful Campaign
One of the most notable examples of the success of language revitalization is now the official language of Israel. By the 2nd century AD Hebrew became more of a language used in literature and the number of people who spoke it gradually declined. However, by the 19th and 20th century, when concepts such as Zionism took root, the return of Hebrew began to take shape.
The revival of Hebrew is separated into three stages: The 1st Aliyah, the 2nd Aliyah, and the British Mandate. One of the heroes of the 1st Aliyah was Eliezer Ben-Yahuda, who raised awareness by writing about the absence of the language in periodicals. During this time, Hebrew schools were being set up and Ben-Yahuda was running his own Hebrew club. By the 2nd Aliyah, assembly meetings and many public activities were also using this language. During this second stage, perhaps the biggest highlight came in 1909 when the city of Tel Aviv was founded. During the period of the British Mandate after World War II, the state of Israel was established and Hebrew chosen as the official language.
The Importance of Language Revitalization
Although small in number of native speakers, many endangered languages are making a comeback as more awareness and education is offered in communities and governments. However, many of these languages are far from being widely known and understood and therefore communication in these languages is quite difficult.
But if you are seeking efficient communication with no complications for your documents, conferences, etc., count on LingoStar to help you get the job done. Our professional translators and interpreters ease the process of communication across language borders in order for you to obtain what you need. We offer translation in Catalan, Hebrew and even Latin! We are also able to assist you with your language needs in Assamese, Balochi, Fukienese, Gaelic, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Tagalog, Tigrinya and Yiddish.
Although small in number of native speakers, many endangered languages are making a comeback as more awareness and education is offered in communities and governments. However, many of these languages are far from being widely known and understood and therefore communication in these languages is quite difficult.
But if you are seeking efficient communication with no complications for your documents, conferences, etc., count on LingoStar to help you get the job done. Our professional translators and interpreters ease the process of communication across language borders in order for you to obtain what you need. We offer translation in Catalan, Hebrew and even Latin! We are also able to assist you with your language needs in Assamese, Balochi, Fukienese, Gaelic, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Tagalog, Tigrinya and Yiddish.
