Of the dead language on Earth. When those languages died didn't the last few people using those languages.

Question

Have sort of a hard time living with other people on Earth who couldn't understand their language.

Answer 1

It's possible but you have to take into account that language, like architecture, homogenizes. It becomes something else if not torn down. We see evidences of this everywhere.

Answer 2

All the "last speakers" were bilingual since most of their playmates as children spoke another language. Dying languages do NOT "homogenize" as the first answer states. They simply stop being taught to children and a new language is taught. Then as no new children are learning the language, the youngest speaker becomes older and older. Look at Native American languages. Many of them have dozens of speakers left, but no children are being taught the language, so the youngest speakers are in their 40s or 50s. These people are all bilingual in English, but the only time they speak their native language is with people older than they are.

BTW, there is no such thing as "Ashkenazi Indian". Navajo and Creek were used as code languages against the Japanese, and Comanche was used as a code language against the Germans.

Answer 3

Not for voting. Just a comment.

Re:

"I had no idea of how a language could die actually. Very interesting" ... Pizzetto

Yes, it's true. They do die. However, I've read that most linguists and anthropologists consider any language that has fewer than 1,000 speakers to be "dead" for all practical purposes. The point of absolute no return seems to be once the language declines to about 300 speakers. Then, both the language and even the people themselves are threatened with extinction.

Answer 4

no longer unavoidably. as an occasion: think of an American kinfolk wherein the mummy and father are ecu immigrants. The community language (permit's presume a dialect) is spoken, alongside with English. maximum probable, the youngsters and next offspring will predominantly talk English. using the "community" language will fall away, via fact the would desire to apply it diminishes. additionally understand that, via fact the international grow to be progressively greater greater "worldwide," over the direction of time, fewer, considerable languages would be triumphant.

Answer 5

I reckon that for the most part they would've been bilingual old people who'd learned the newer language locally superseding their older one, whose kids just didn't learn and retain the dying language. Like Italian immigrants to the US, who are more concerned their kids learn English than Italian -- and the kids and the grandkids wind up not speaking Italian at all.

Answer 6

I dont beleive so. Look at the Ashkenazi Indians... the language was used during WWII so as to make it impossible for the Germans to break our codes. That language is now dead. Its last few speakers spoke english as well...

Answer 7

I had no idea of how a language could die actually. Very interesting.