Summary Details
| Query: |
Endangered Languages
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| Author: | Daniel Everett | |
| Submitter Email: | click here to access email | |
| Linguistic LingField(s): |
General Linguistics
History of Linguistics |
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| Summary: |
Folks,
A few days ago, I posted a query to the linguistlist asking for help ''... in identifying publications, conferences, LSA events, etc. that might be identified with the birth of current interest in endangered languages...'' There were a number of very helpful responses to my query, and I thank all those who replied: Greville Corbett, Karl Gadelii, Akira Yamamoto, Mike Maxwell, Jon Reyhner, Maria Carreira, Charles Bigelow, Melissa Kronenthal, Joseph Tomei, Larrivee Pierre, Robert Orr, and Steve Moran. There were a few replies on efforts to preserve specific languages. While those are indeed relevant to my question, they do not directly answer it, so I have not included those in the summary. I was specifically concerned about the history of the concept 'endangered languages', rather than about efforts to preserve specific languages. I summarize below the responses received. Greville Corbett reminded me that the Linguistics Association of Great Britain (LAGB) held a workshop on endangered languages in September 1993, in Bangor, Wales, with papers by Greville Corbett, Nigel Vincent, Alastair Walker, and Collette Craig. Akira Yamamoto provided several references. He reminded me of several LSA efforts in this respect, especially the 1991 session on Endangered Languages, led by Kenneth Hale. Ken's efforts led to the establishment of the LSA Committee for Endangered Languages and their Preservation in 1992, with Michael Krauss as the first Chair. Also, there were several presentations at the 1993 Linguistic Society of America's annual meeting symposium on 'Preservation of North American Indian Languages', which included presentations by Yamamoto, Marianne Mithun, and others. He also informed me about the Native American Language Issue Conference held in September 1992 and attended by representatives from several different organizations. This meeting led to the 'birth of a follow-up law' in October 1992, committing two million dollars for 1993 for community-based language programs. Akira also informed me that from the late 1980s, UNESCO has been interested in language endangerment via the Permanent International Congress of Linguists, publishing the first book with the title, Endangered Languages, in 1991. In 1994, the LSA published a policy statement on 'The need for the documentation of linguistic diversity' (LSA Bulletin 144:5). Since this statement, the LSA formally established the Field Reports/Endangered Languages section of the annual LSA meetings. Mike Maxwell also reminded me that in the 1950s several SIL International members took on the specific job of documenting dying languages in Peru, Brazil, and elsewhere. Jon Maria Carreira of Cal State University sent me a copy of the useful August 2002 Scientific American article on endangered languages which discusses issues and some history of interest in this topic. Charles Bigelow reminded me of the importance of the notion of language 'salvage' to many of the early American linguists, e.g. Boas and his students, as well as in the work of students of Mary Haas and her students at UC Berkeley. Melissa Kronenthal from Edinburgh University sent me a list of conferences, given below, on endangered languages, followed by a brief bibliography on endangered languages in the media. I repeat her list of conferences below, since it is so useful (!): LSA Endangered Languages Symposium 1991 ''Endangered Languages and their Preservation'' 15th Int'l Congress of Linguists 1992 ''Endangered Languages'' Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, September 1992: 2nd Int'l Conference on the Maintenance and Loss of Minority Languages LAGB (Linguistic Association of Great Britain) Sept 1993: special session on ''Endangered Languages'' 48th Int'l Congress of Americanists Stockholm 1994 Symposium: ''Endangered indigenous languages of the Americas and their future'' LSA Meeting New Orleans Jan 1995: ''Field Reports/Endangered Languages'' Conferences on Linguistic Rights Barcelona and Hong Kong MIT Cambridge, Mass. Jan. 1995: Workshop on Endangered Languages and Linguistic Diversity Dartmouth Feb 1995 Conf: ''Endangered Languages: Current Issues and Future Prospects'' Bristol April 1995: ''The Conservation of Endangered Languages'' Tokyo 1995 : International Symposium on Endangered Languages (at newly inaugurated International Clearinghouse For Endangered Languages) Barcelona June 1996: World Conference on Linguistic Rights Hong Kong June 1996: First International Conference on Language Rights Berkeley Oct 1996: ''Endangered Languages, Endangered Knowledge, Endangered Environments Leipzig, July - Aug 1997: Symposium on Endangered Languages in Africa Edinburgh 1998 FEL Annual Conference: What Role for the Specialist? Maynooth 1999 FEL Annual Conference: Endangered Languages and Education Charlotte, NC 2000 FEL Annual Conference: Endangered Languages and Education Agadir, Morocco 2001 FEL Annual Conference: Endangered Languages and the Media Helsinki Aug 2001: Linguistic Perspectives on Endangered Languages Antigua, Guatemala 2002: FEL Annual Conference: Endangered languages and their literatures International Conferences on Minority Languages (there have been 8 so far). Joseph Tomei informed me about a AAA panel organized in 1995 on endangered languages, and reminded me of work by several sociolinguists. Let me, DLE, add here that Darcy Ribeiro, one of the most important Brazilian intellectuals of the 20th Century, was responsible for inviting SIL to Brazil in the 1950s, when he was at the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro. Later, Ribeiro became the equivalent of the US White House Chief of Staff, under president Janio Quadros (Chefe da Casa Civil). In his recent autobiography (he has since died), Confissoes, he explicitly links his invitation to SIL with his concern for documenting and preserving dying languages of Brazil. It might be the case, therefore, that Ribeiro is one of the first people, at least in the Americas, to commit government resources and planning explicitly and specifically to the documentation of minority languages. Certainly, Ribeiro must be considered one of the pioneers in this area. More recently, England has seen a significant increase in interest and research on endangered languages. In 2001 The University of Manchester held a Language Endangerment Day, to bring the problem of endangered languages to the attention of the local and national community. This was reported on in Time magazine, July 2001. In 2002 a ?20 million endowment was pledged by the Marit Rausing Foundation to the School of Oriental and African Languages in London, and the first holder of the Marit Rausing Chair in Field Linguistics, Peter Austin, was selected. Austin will administer this endowment and work on behalf of endangered languages as the representative of the Foundation and SOAS. This is a major milestone in the study of Endangered Languages internationally. If there are important facts which I have omitted, I would appreciate hearing from readers of LinguistList. Thanks again to all who sent in responses. Dan Everett University of Mancheser dan.everett@man.ac.uk |
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| LL Issue: | 13.3331 | |
| Date Posted: | 17-Dec-2002 | |
| Original Query: | Read original query | |
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