Every time a language dies , the world loses a piece of its ability to survive ?

Question

I'm wondering about the values that didn't exist anymore

Answer 1

It's not a problem. In fact, in many ways we would be better off if we selected one world language and stuck to it. This would facilitate having one world government, which is crucial for several reasons, including pollution control standardization.

It's true, language embodies a theory, and each language provides it's own unique perspectives on things, and the colorful figures of speech and idioms may be an important creative influence, and I would be sad to see all of the languages and cultures go, but if we are going to be serious about the problems ahead of us, as a species, we should probably "put away childish things" and learn to communicate with eachother.

Answer 2

I can't really agree with the quote...

A language dies because nobody speaks or reads it anymore. Some languages (Sanskrit and Latin, for example) have left behind such great literary works, that the language is worth learning just to develop a deep understanding of the literature.

But if a language doesn't have any great works, and the use of the language is so limited that the children of it's speakers don't even bother to learn, then perhaps there is a good reason why the language dies out.

You mention specifically "the values that didn't exist anymore." If those values were meaningless on a grand human scale, then perhaps there isn't anything missed. Or, perhaps more likely, those values live on in other cultures, being absorbed by an even larger population than before.

Answer 3

I disagree. How many people do you know that speak Aramaic? Probably none. How many people do you know that have read or at least heard of the Bible? Exactly. Now, how many times have you tried to convey something to someone who didn't understand your language? My experiences is that it has been nothing but frustrating. On the other hand, draw out a simple math problem and see what happens. Math is the universal language, and holds the key to our ability to survive. Think about it: Whether you're in Colombia, Finland, or China, Pi is still 3.14159(and some change). Ultimately, our universe is one giant math problem, with lots of equations to work out. When that language dies, then I will agree with the question.

Answer 4

What has the death of a language have to do with the values of a society?
Our language hasn't changed very much, but our values and society as a whole has.

Values are learned, accepted, rejected, passed down from generation to generation and created anew.

What about negative values?
Are we better off now because Italians (the mob) are more integrated into american society now or was it better when they were more directly tied socially (language) to their homeland?

Answer 5

i think it used to be that once a language died nobody was there to pick up the rare concepts that only that language contained. However with the media and faster communication i think the rare concepts are spreading faster into other languages and adding to the surviving languages.

Answer 6

Languages don't die.. people believed it as it is.. once they never hear of its existence they tend to assume that it has died.. the proper treatment for it is it is only resting and sooner or later it will announce its come back moments and its values will influence the many again to give guidance to people...

Answer 7

Catchy line. However, if a language dies its because the people using it have failed to survive.

Answer 8

Unfortunately, this is quite true. My grandfather emigrated from Wales, whose language is dying fast. My grandpa himself forgot the language completely. But, as I don't speak any dying languages, I don't know how to help this problem.

Answer 9

Language existence are a reflection of the Darwinian toughness and resilience of its culture. Hence, French is a dying language.

Answer 10

maybe instead of losing the ability to survive it gains the ability to survive better as one