Extinct language

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Extinct language

An extinct language is a language that no longer has any native speakers. This typically occurs when a language is no longer spoken as a primary language by any community. Extinction can happen for various reasons, including cultural assimilation, colonization, and the dominance of other languages.

Causes of Language Extinction

Languages can become extinct due to several factors:

• Cultural assimilation: When speakers of a language adopt another language and abandon their native language.
• Colonization: The imposition of a colonizer's language on indigenous populations.
• Globalization: The spread of dominant languages like English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
• Economic factors: Economic advantages of speaking a dominant language can lead to the abandonment of minority languages.
• Natural disasters: Events that can decimate populations and disrupt the transmission of language to future generations.

Examples of Extinct Languages

• Latin: Once the language of the Roman Empire, now only used in specific contexts such as Catholic liturgy.
• Etruscan: An ancient language of Italy that was replaced by Latin.
• Akkadian: An ancient language of Mesopotamia, replaced by Aramaic and later by Arabic.

Revival Efforts

Some extinct languages have been revived through dedicated efforts:

• Hebrew: Once considered extinct as a spoken language, it was revived in the 19th and 20th centuries and is now the official language of Israel.
• Cornish: A Celtic language of Cornwall, which has seen revival efforts since the 20th century.

Impact of Language Extinction

The extinction of a language often results in the loss of cultural heritage and knowledge. Languages carry unique worldviews, traditions, and histories. The loss of a language can mean the loss of traditional knowledge about medicine, ecology, and history.

Related Pages

• Endangered language
• Language death
• Language revitalization
• Linguistics
• Cultural heritage