Saving languages in the digital age

The mid-to-late 20th century was difficult time for linguists: globalization meant languages were going extinct ever more rapidly, there was little interest in reviving or preserving those languages, and the process of catching a few parts of these decaying tongues was very difficult.  In the past few decades, though, as intellectuals recognized the social importance ...

582983_090728_cornish5.jpg
582983_090728_cornish5.jpg

The mid-to-late 20th century was difficult time for linguists: globalization meant languages were going extinct ever more rapidly, there was little interest in reviving or preserving those languages, and the process of catching a few parts of these decaying tongues was very difficult. 

In the past few decades, though, as intellectuals recognized the social importance of language, the field’s fortunes have turned somewhat: although globalization continues to encourage standardization of languages, some are being revived (for example: Manx, Hawaiian, and, contrary to the photo above, Cornish), and more universities and foundations are interested in supporting research. Now, perhaps most importantly from an academic perspective, the tools for recording these dying languages have now gone digital. 

The New York Times reports on Dr. Tucker Childs’s work in Sierra Leone, where he is using a digital recorder and language-recognition software to record the Kim language. Rather than having to lug back boxes of casettes and then record and decipher the language’s structure manually, Dr. Childs is able to both record more words and analyze languages far more thoroughly. And the research, archived at the University of London, will be more accessible to amateur linguists and other professors doing similar work.

While most of these languages will not be saved, as the article puts it, “the aim is not just to salvage, but to revive.” The ideal outcome? The comeback that Hebrew has experienced: since the 19th century, it has shifted from liturgical use to being spoken by millions of people. 

James Downie is an editorial researcher at FP.
Read More On Africa

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.