More on Words

Following up on my thoughts about words, I heard on one of my podcasts that the last speaker of one of the Canadian indigenous languages passed away in the last few weeks. I know her name is Mary but I can't find the podcast or any other information on her or her language.

Many languages have been disappeared over the years - initially through the general movement of humanity, then through colonialism and the through the Americanization of the world. English (and even more so, American English) is definitely the lingua franca in business and that effects so very many of my fellow humans.

So how important are other languages or dialects. I am aware of projects here in Australia to compile dictionaries of some of the many indigenous languages still spoken. On another note, a French Minister is upset that their entry into the Eurovision contest will be sung in English - and is arguing that if the French can't defend their language who will. Communities like the Armish and Mennonites continue to speak Pennsylvanian Dutch. Wikipedia is available in a increasingly large range of languages. The $100 laptop is provided to children in their native tongue - with the keyboard configured accordingly.

Language is more than just words - it is a verbal representation of culture. Ever noticed how some of the Chinglish signs, such as "Your careful step keeps tiny grass invariably green" is far more poetic, polite and romantic than the stiff-upper-lippedness of "Keep Off The Grass".

So if your culture is part of a larger one, how do you integrate words from the "modern world" into your language ('internet' and 'email' as two examples) without diluting the original tongue. Or if your culture is dying out, is it worth hanging onto the language - and is it more important than other representations of culture, say art, or stories. If there are only a very tiny population that are speaking a language, is it worth preservation efforts?

And in saying all of this, I acknowledge that only speak English (and a little Spanish in my sleep) and most of my friends and associates have been mono-lingual. If we save all of these "micro-languages" then will people like me ever avail myself of their richness or will they stay on dusty shelves in obscure parts of libraries that nobody ever visits?