Eyak is dead

[Daddy B]

The last fluent speaker of Eyak has died.

Here is an article from 1993 which shows us her hopes and dreams.

With Spanish killing native languages in Latin America (and, some alarmists would say wiping out English in the US...) and French pushing aside native African languages is the end of cultural diversity a price worth paying for decent standards of living "only globalisation can provide"?

[Rissask]

With Spanish killing native languages in Latin America (and, some alarmists would say wiping out English in the US...) and French pushing aside native African languages is the end of cultural diversity a price worth paying for decent standards of living "only globalisation can provide"?

yes and no

[Rissask]

let's face it

the world has/had thousands of different dialects because up until fairly recently, groups were far more isolated. No mystery there.

many or most of those languages are naturally going to disappear as older speakers die off and the younger ones never learn it, as we are truly a global community more than ever before. Again, no mystery, just simple fact. No 'right' or 'wrong' about it, inescapable fact. It is what it is.

Many people will sentimentally try to retain dying languages, some will succeed, many will fail. if there is enough desire on enough people's parts to retain the language it will be, if not, it'll die. Reality.

everything dies,sometime

except cockroaches, they've been around awhile and aren't going anywhere.

[Heather]

this scared me, I thought it said "Eeyore is dead." Phew.

[Daddy B]

Originally Posted by Heather

this scared me, I thought it said "Eeyore is dead." Phew.

Nope, not Eeyore.

Thnkxbai.

[Heather]

Originally Posted by Daddy B

Thnkxbai.

[myhappyplace2]

I just want to know who she spoke to if she was the last one to speak the language?

[Daddy B]

Originally Posted by myhappyplace2

I just want to know who she spoke to if she was the last one to speak the language?

Vang'tull higzsem dti'n.

[melliedee]

Originally Posted by Rissask

let's face it

the world has/had thousands of different dialects because up until fairly recently, groups were far more isolated. No mystery there.

many or most of those languages are naturally going to disappear as older speakers die off and the younger ones never learn it, as we are truly a global community more than ever before. Again, no mystery, just simple fact. No 'right' or 'wrong' about it, inescapable fact. It is what it is.

Many people will sentimentally try to retain dying languages, some will succeed, many will fail. if there is enough desire on enough people's parts to retain the language it will be, if not, it'll die. Reality.

everything dies,sometime

except cockroaches, they've been around awhile and aren't going anywhere.

I don't think it's about sentimentality, but advotating for the necessary scholarship it takes to record a language otherwise lost. It is a high price to pay for globalization, imo. Linguistically isolated languages are a rare thing; I'm glad there are still people who care about them.

[sctx]

Originally Posted by Heather

this scared me, I thought it said "Eeyore is dead." Phew.

oh hell no, we throw a big birthday party for Eeyore every year in Austin...... one big hippie smot pokin love fest it is

[roni]

Did eyak - was it the death penalty?

I suspect so.

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by melliedee

I don't think it's about sentimentality, but advotating for the necessary scholarship it takes to record a language otherwise lost. It is a high price to pay for globalization, imo. Linguistically isolated languages are a rare thing; I'm glad there are still people who care about them.

I hear ya. And I respect the desire to preserve them from a 'preserving history' sense. And certainly making note of the demise of one is important.

I guess it just seems hugely impractical to go to any great lengths to preserve them, really, when if we keep on at this rate, they'll be dead anyway.

Maybe the more we all speak the same language or at least fewer, maybe we will all understand each other better?

and I am not saying this because I speak English and it's gonna be English either, although it IS the universal language of business right now...eventually we'll all be speaking Chinese. Or Arabic maybe!

[melliedee]

Originally Posted by Rissask

I hear ya. And I respect the desire to preserve them from a 'preserving history' sense. And certainly making note of the demise of one is important.

I guess it just seems hugely impractical to go to any great lengths to preserve them, really, when if we keep on at this rate, they'll be dead anyway.

Maybe the more we all speak the same language or at least fewer, maybe we will all understand each other better?

and I am not saying this because I speak English and it's gonna be English either, although it IS the universal language of business right now...eventually we'll all be speaking Chinese. Or Arabic maybe!

Hugely impractical is the name of the game in academia. What the hell else is someone trained as a linguist supposed to do?

I love this topic, btw. It's always so interesting to me if isolated languages still follow Chompsky's premise of a universal grammar; the article didn't mention any specifics. I'm drawn to the idea that humans are hardwired for language. It may be romantic, or even useless to some, but it could be that preserving those lost languages and dialects is a first step in reaching that kind of understanding between people that we seek.

What's the first thing you want to learn when you visit a country where you don't speak the language? Greetings, how to order a beer, and swear words! Or, friendship, sustenance, and humor as it were. Universal indeed.

[Rissask]

I do agree with you melliedee, in spirit you know. I am just being my usual hardass realist.

I would hate to see the whole world speaking one language. It is so much a part of a different culture that it wouldn't be remotely the same...can you imagine going to France or Spain or Russia and everyone speaks English? Wouldn't be nearly as interesting or exciting or 'foreign'...which is the main reason I travel.

I agree that language is a big part of what makes people tick and groups unique, too.

it's just been such a whirlwind this past couple hundred years....hard to say what'll happen huh. I am too negative. Just ask Jacko.

[melliedee]

Originally Posted by Rissask

I do agree with you melliedee, in spirit you know. I am just being my usual hardass realist.

And I my usual hardass idealist. If we put em together we could really kick butt on the death penalty?