Culture V – Language Domination, Preservation, and Extinction

Language and Ethnicity The distribution of language is a direct measure of the fate of an ethnic group If an ethnic group dies out, usually the language goes with them Ethnic groups that can diffuse their language can ensure the survival of their culture

Language Domination The development of alphabets and literary traditions were used to dominate and conquer cultures Invention of agricultural societies, alphabets, and record keeping allowed cultures to spread and dominate illiterate cultures

European Imperialism European colonial powers colonized Africa and the Americas Language was imposed on native populations Europeans had alphabets NA’s passed on language through verbal transmission One step in the process of cultural extinction After decolonization, language remained Treaty of Tordesillas - 1494

Language Extinction No longer spoken by any living person Thousands are extinct Process has accelerated during past 300 years Imperialism Globalization Economic and social acculturation

Language Conflicts Nigeria 493 languages 3 in widespread use Hausa Yoruba Igbo Ethnic conflict Political conflict Moved capital from Lagos (Yoruba) to Abuja (center of Nigeria)

Reviving Endangered Languages Basque Welsh Irish Gaelic Cornish – extinct in 1777 Hebrew – post WWII

Multilingual States Most states contain multiple languages Divided by isoglosses Some states identify multiple official languages Canada Belgium Israel Switzerland African preservation of languages

Isolated Languages Not associated with any other language family Lack of interaction Basque – pre-Indo-European

Lingua Franca Common communication for business Originated with Arab traders in Europe English Russian Swahili Indonesian Pidgin Language

Global Dominance of English ESL EU – 90% World – 500 million Japan – considering added English as a second official language Airlines

Diffusion of English Historically – relocation diffusion through trade and conquest Today – expansion diffusion Expansion diffusion of English English is changing through diffusion of new vocab, spelling, and pronunciation English words are fusing w/other languages Usually, diffusion occurs from the elite to the masses, but today changes in English originate from common usage or ethnic dialects African Americans – Ebonics – “she be at home” Appalachia – “I’m fishing in the crick”, “a-sitting”

Diffusion of Other Languages Franglais Spanglish Chores (shorts), bacuncliner (vacuum cleaner) Parquin (instead of estacionameiento) Denglish Cityverbindungen (local call)

Language Manifestations in Landscape Cultures name features with a toponym In the USA, names reveal the dominate culture of the first inhabitants or the Europeans that conquered them Two parts to a toponym Generic – classifies what is being described Specific – modifies the classification

2007 FRQ At the same time that English is solidifying its role as the world’s premier lingua franca, lesser-used minority languages (such as Welsh, Basque, and Inuktitut) are undergoing revival. Discuss three distinct factors promoting the revival of minority languages in the face of globalization.