#language endangerment

[linguisticdiscovery]

Where languages are dying

Where Languages are Dying

Oceania is the region with the most languages classified as threatened or endangered to some degree (733) while Asia is home to a similarly

[kataibusaibiin]

First, lemme say, as malihini (foreigner, guest) in Hawai'i nei, to learn ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is our kuleana (both privilege+responsibility). Given the history and ongoing illegal occupation, learning even just a little ʻōlelo and doing our part to renormalize its day-to-day use is the least - and I do mean the bare minimum - I or anyone else visiting as tourist or living on this 'āina can do. And it should be done with respect for nā kānaka oiwi, their culture, and their ʻāina as language is not separate of these things.

I am no expert and clearly I still have a lot to learn and need all the help I can get, but if anyone else is eager to learn too, I'm happy to share some of the resources others have shared with me to supplement my online classes. Many are free and available online! 

Now, having said that, e kala mai! Please don't take this as an invitation to roast me but if you're kānaka and/or nā po'e ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, please do feel free to offer feedback! I am always eager to learn and practice with others!! I am truly humbled by the opportunity to do so. 

For context, some friends and I were hoping to meet up via zoom last night to study and practice ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi together. We are trying to meet up regularly to practice and encourage each other. Our goal for this week was to polish our ho'olauna (introductions). Unfortunately, we had to cancel/reschedule. But I've challenged myself to practice speaking every day (and not just practice my reading/writing comprehension), even if itʻs just for a few minutes. So.....

I recorded myself practicing and ya'll get to be my accountability buddies this time.

I've been learning 'Ōlelo Hawaiʻi online since this summer. One challenge I face no matter what language I speak (even English) is overcoming my social anxieties. I often freeze and/or nervously fumble over my words, particularly in group settings. Of course, this increases the less familiar I am with the language and/or culture. What fun! Aaaand Zoom classes tend to bump the dial up several notches and send my anxiety soaring through the roof. The emotional landscape of the state of the world certainly doesnʻt help either! So, Iʻm trying to make concerted efforts outside of class to help me lean into the challenges of learning online and my own discomfort. So, here we are...

Please note, this isn't my formal or more traditional ho'olauna but this is my effort to stretch and try to finds ways to speak to some of the many questions that often come up whenever I have to introduce myself, particularly when it comes to where I am "from"... Spoiler alert: I am a multi-ethnic Shimanchu, born on the island of Uchinaa but raised in the diaspora. You can call me Okinawan /  Uchinaanchu or Ryukyuan / LooChooan but please know that I am NOT Japanese. Being given Japanese citizenship at birth does not erase the violent overthrow of our Kingdom and ongoing illegal occupation of the Loo Choo islands.  No matter how much the Japanese government has tried to kill and/or beat or erase Shimanchu and the rich history and culture of the Loo Choo Kingdom, they cannot take away the blood that runs through my veins and the pride I hold in my heart for all of the gifts and lessons my ancestors have passed down to me.

Also, much like trying to learn my own heritage languages like Uchinaaguchi or Chahta Anumpa, it can be challenging to find folks who are both willing and able to practice indigenous languages, thanks to colonialism and the intergenerational trauma and institutional erasure or other barriers it creates/created. But I have been truly inspired by innovative and empowering ways indigenous brothers/sisters/siblings across the globe are leveraging technology to heal, connect, and overcome these hurdles, especially during these times of social distancing. (I mean, have yʻall been on TikTok??) So, here's my attempt to use technology to break down some of these barriers while also confronting some of my fears. Who knows...maybe itʻll inspire someone else to tackle some of your own fears, transform the way you think about technology, ....or perhaps (hopefully!) it'll make you pause to think about our individual and collective responsibility to decolonize ourselves and our communities and to honor the lands we call home - and the indigenous / aboriginal / First Nations peoples of the lands where we live - wherever in the world we find ourselves. (OK, gonna stop there for now before I start ranting about Asian Settler Colonialism, but consider this me lovingly calling in all Shimanchu here in Hawaiʻi to join me...)

OK. One minute challenge. Here we go!! *deep breaths*

[endangeredlanguagechallenge]

Discord servers for endangered languages #1

Discord is a nice place to discuss languages, have conversations in them and to share information about grammar, revitalisation and culture. I can really recommend you take a look at the following servers as they are dealing with certain, endangered languages or with language endangerment in general.

Frisian Languages https://discord.gg/E3CU29a Inuit-Yupik-Unangan (Eskimo-Aleut) https://discord.gg/CKvS4HN Celtic Languages https://discord.gg/ebtsUSH Scots Language https://discord.gg/BMNKjZJ Minority & Regional Languages & Cultures https://discord.gg/wvk2acb United Nations of Ancient and Endangered and Languages https://discord.gg/te89K64 Native American Culture and Languages https://discord.gg/U3PyrYb Ingvaeonic Languages Hub https://discord.gg/wEYJk96

[linguisten]

[warning: this video contains images and voices of people who have passed away]

[linguisticdiscovery]

How do you make a dictionary for a language without adjectives? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how I'm working to make a dictionary of the Chitimacha language of Louisiana, an indigenous Native American language that stopped being spoken in the 1930s. I talk about some of the unique features of Chitimacha grammar and how those are handled in the dictionary.

Like my content? You can support Linguistic Discovery on Patreon!

Linguistic Discovery is creating a dictionary of the Chitimacha language! | Patreon

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[linguisticdiscovery]

The most endangered languages in the world

Mapped: the most endangered languages in the world right now

There are 2,450 threatened tongues across the globe.

Data are from the excellent Endangered Languages Project:

Endangered Languages Project

The Endangered Languages Project is a collaborative online platform for sharing knowledge and resources for endangered languages. Join this

[kataibusaibiin]

A world with no word for “love”

While interviewing some folks about Language Endangerment, our discussions naturally touched upon how language reflects and reinforces the values and beliefs of a culture. Folks commiserated about what is lost when a language dies/is dying.

One example I was reminded of is that there isn't really a word for the English equivalent of "love" in "Chahta anumpa" (Choctaw language).

Modern dictionaries and younger language learners might say that "i hullo" means "(to) love" but some of us remember being taught this was traditionally closer in meaning to "caring" or "to care for." So the closest equivalent I could say when I wrote a beloveds eulogy was, "Chi hullo li na billia chih." (I will care for you forever.)

Love, however, was meant to be expressed through actions and not words.

[endangeredlanguagechallenge]

Endangered langblrs #2

This is the second post of this kind. As in the last post #1 I want to introduce you to important helpers of revitalising and documenting endangered and lesser-used languages here on tumblr. So, I will name some langblrs that deal partly or wholly with those languages. If you know more of such langblrs please tell me right away and I will mention them in a next post.

Greenlandic

Kalaallisut is a lesser-used language and certainly a minority language within the Danish realm.

@tulunnguaq

Laz language

ლაზური ენა, lazuri ena, or ჭანური ენა, ç̌anuri ena is an endangered Kartvelian language spoken by 22,000 people in Turkey and Georgia that is related to Georgian. 

@anadolular

Chickasaw

Chikashshanompa’ is a Muscogean language that is currently spoken by less than 75 people in Oklahoma.

@fractalrainbow

Irish

Gaeilge is the national language of Ireland but only has around 74,000 mother speakers.

@teangacha @chronically-chilll @seanfhocail

Scottish Gaelic

Gàidhlig is also a Celtic language as Irish is and is spoken in Scotland and Canada by only 57,000 mother speakers.

@ambi-alba @selchieproductions @sgribhisg

Cornish

Kernowek is a revived Celtic language that has gained some new mother speakers again.

@fortheloveoflanguistics (Also about language revitalisation in general)

Sami languages

Saami languages are Uralic languages, related to Finnish and Estonian, and are spoken by around 30,000 mother speakers.

@selchieproductions (Southern Swedish Saami) @fara-learns-sami (Northern Saami)

I really hope that this will inspire more of you to submit other blogs that deal with a certain endangered, lesser-used or minority/regional language or with language endangerment and revitalisation in general. The network and possibilities of tumblr are such good resources for languages that have hardly any visibility elsewhere and especially no resources to learn with. So, let’s spread this message further, so I will get more submission of endangered langblrs to share with you. Thanks a lot!