Did you know languages die?
Not from stampeding elephants, ill-fated bungee jumps or too much vodka. A language dies when its last speaker dies. Today there are 6,909 languages in the world. But 500 years ago, that number was double, and in about 100 more, there’ll be half that. Of the 165 indigenous languages in North America, only eight have 10,000 speakers left.
When a language dies, we lose our connection to that culture’s past, knowledge and traditions. So get out there and learn Livonian, Eyak and Mesmes!