Human Geo 5.4 Questions Flashcards
What are various levels of endangerment that the UN considers in its 2,346 endangered languages?
- 592 vulnerable languages
- 640 endangered languages no longer taught to children as their principal language at home.
- 537 severely endangered languages spoken by old people & parents not spreading them to children
- 577 critically endangered languages spoken only by older people, and infrequently at that.
What are the world regions with the largest numbers of dying languages?
South Pacific & North America (dominated by English), and Latin America (only 2 widely used institutional languages, Spanish and Portuguese).
Why is English the most widely used language in Australia and New Zealand?
As a result of British colonization during the early 19th century. Settlers in Australia and New Zealand established/maintained outposts of British culture. Though English remains dominant there, the languages that predate British settlement survive in both countries.
What is Australia’s makeup of languages and cultures regarding English?
1% of pop is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Their education is more about teaching English than preserving local languages. English is the language of instruction throughout Australia, so they have 211 living indigenous languages, but each has fewer than 10,000 speakers.
What policies has Australia adopted regarding preserving indigenous languages?
Restriction of immigration from non-English-speaking places during the 19th-20th. Fear of immigration was strong in Australia because it’s close to Asian countries. “White Australia” policy: every prospective immigrant needed to write 50 words of a European language dictated by an immigration officer. This test wasn’t eliminated until 1957. The Australian gov’t now merely requires that immigrants learn English.
What policies has New Zealand adopted regarding preserving indigenous languages?
14% of pop is Maori (from Polynesian migration 700 yrs ago). New Zealand has adopted policies to preserve Maori (it’s one of 3 official languages). Only 4% of New Zealanders are fluent in Maori, most of them over age 50. Preserving requires skilled teachers and willingness to endure inconvenience. Maori is a threatened language. However, in most circumstances, immigrants must already be fluent in English.
When is the status of an isolated language considered vibrant?
If it is in full use in the community & spoken in all areas of life by people of all ages. It is judged by Ethnologue as sustainable (likely to survive in the near future). Only 7 isolated languages in the world are considered vibrant. Others are dying.
What is Basque, Europe’s only isolated language and the only language there that survives from before the arrival of Indo-European speakers?
It was abandoned where its speakers came in contact with Indo-Europeans, and its not the first language of about 750,000 people in Spain & France. Basques are isolated in their mountainous homeland. This has helped preserve their language in the face of wide diffusion of European languages.
Icelandic isn’t an isolated language, but in the past 1,000 years, it has changed less than any other Germanic branch language. Why?
Icelanders’ ancestors were Germanic speakers who migrated from the east (Norway) and colonized Iceland in 874 CE. The immigrants had little contact with speakers of other languages when they arrived in Iceland, and had no contact with their old language. Other North Germanic languages adopted new words/pronunciations through interaction, but not isolated Iceland.
What are 2 examples of recently extinct languages?
- Liv: Uralic family, became extinct in 2013 when its last speaker died in Latvia. Around 200 ethnic Livonians live in Latvia coast, but none speak Liv.
- Clallam: once spoken in Washington/Canada, became extinct in 2014 when it’s last-known speaker died at 103. The language is taught in a high school, and 6 youths can speak some of it as their 2nd language. A clallam dictionary was published in 2012, and it might be reawakening if a child is taught Clallam as his or her first language.
What is the loss of many languages a reflection of?
- Globalization. To be a part of a global economy and culture, people choose a widely used language, leaving their traditional language to disappear.
- Only 92 of the 500 languages 16th century Spanish missionaries found in Peru are alive, and 14 face extinction (less than 100 speakers remain). Only Cusco is used by more than 1 million people.
Why have recent efforts to bolster languages belonging to the Celtic branch of Indo-European been interesting to English speakers?
Because the languages offer insights into the cultural heritage of now-English-speaking places. Celtic languages were spoken in many places 2,000 years ago, but today, they only survive in remote parts of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Brittany Peninsula.
Explain the Welsh language of the Brythonic group.
Conquered by English in 1283. Welsh remained dominant in Wales until 19th, when many English migrants for coal mines/ factories moved there. 23% of Wales pop speaks Welsh. In some isolated communities, 2/3 speak Welsh. Britain’s 1988 Education Act made Welsh language a compulsory subject in all Wales schools, and Welsh was made official in 2011. There are Welsh services, signs, and TV/Radio programs. Knowledge of Welsh is not required for many jobs (esp. in public service, media, culture, & sports). However, 73% of Welsh people reported having no language skills.
Explain the Cornish language of the Brythonic group.
Spoken in Cornwall (County in the UK). Last known speaker died in 1777, but was revived in the 20th century. Agreement in 2008 on a standard system of writing. In 2011, there were 557 UK fluent. It is taught in grade schools, adult courses, & church services. Used for some bank checks.
Explain the Breton language of the Brythonic group.
Brittany is an isolated peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. Part of France, and has many French-borrowed words. Breton speakers have declined from 1 million (1950) to 200,000, and 3/4 of remaining speakers are over 65. It is endangered. Around 15,000 students learn it, but the French gov’t requires French to be the principal language in public schools.
