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I Speak Another Language

I have just read that every two weeks a language dies out. I think it is a great lost when it happens. Language are one of the main expression ways of a culture, when a language dies out the world becomes more homogeneous.
I hope the day never comes when a single language is spoken in the world, whichever this language isn

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Mugin16 · 46-50, M

Quote by Dyson Freeman, 1979:

"It is true that a world with a universal common language would be a simpler world for bureaucrats and administrators to manage. But there is strong evidence…that plasticity and diversity of languages played an essential role in human evolution. It is not just an inconvenient historical accident that we have a variety of languages. It was nature’s way to make it possible for us to evolve rapidly…. Biological progress came from random genetic fluctuations that could be significant only in small and genetically isolated communities. To keep a small community genetically isolated and to enable it to evolve new social institutions, it was vitally important that the new members of the community could be quickly separated from their neighbors by barriers of language."

Cierzo · M

Wittgenstein said that the limits of the language are the limits of thought. Therefore, a larger variety of languages brings a larger variety of thoughts

novembermoon · 51-55

@Cierzo: : I agree very much with this. To know only one language is to limit your worldview. Although English is widely used, it is not the only way of looking at the world.

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon: It is widely used because it is the language used in the currently most powerful country in the world, and it is easy to learn compared to other languages. Aren't those the reason why certain visions become the more popular ones?

SW-User

I love hearing different languages..yours is beautiful to us.Here Welsh is now taught in schools so most kids can speak it-I wish it had been so in my school days

Cierzo · M

I don't know how Welsh sounds. For sure very exotic to our ears with those really long words and the many consonants. It is a great thing that kids learn it at school 🙂

novembermoon · 51-55

Just one language for the whole world? Reminds me of 1984- Maybe it is Newspeak.

Cierzo · M

Great association 🙂. I have similar thoughts.

twistermind · 51-55, F

I see what you mean. A language is not only a communication mean but also says a lot about how the speakers sees the reality.
I didn't know so many language are disappearing. They are bad news.

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twistermind · 51-55, F

@Cierzo: I would feel very sad is Spanish disappeared. It's the language I can express myself better the outside world and my inner world.

Cierzo · M

@twistermind: I don't think Spanish will disappear, but sadly many other languages will not be so lucky.

Mugin16 · 46-50, M

@twistermind: There are about 400 million people who speak Spanish as mother tongue. Only Mandarin has more native speakers. Don't worry, Spanish will certainly not disappear.

SW-User

It's nice to have an own language from the special "heritage" you belong to.

Mugin16 · 46-50, M

I have read that from about 6,000 languages in the world at the start of this century about half will have gone exstinct by 2100.

twistermind · 51-55, F

So, there will be only 3000 and the quantity will go on decreasing. Globalization is unstoptable, I'm afraid.

When I approach to a new language, one thing that gets my attention is the differences in capturing the reality. For example, while in Spanish the Moon is femenine, in Arabic is masculine.

Mugin16 · 46-50, M

@twistermind: I disagree. Globalisation is not unstoppable. Actually the internet will do a lot to stop its advance and roll it back.

Language going exstinct is a natural process. Tens of thousands of languages have come and gone again over the last 50,000 years.

twistermind · 51-55, F

@Mugin16: Hope you're right.

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