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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.