When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion of Human KnowledgeOxford University Press, USA, 2007 - 292 páginas It is commonly agreed by linguists and anthropologists that the majority of languages spoken now around the globe will likely disappear within our lifetime. The phenomenon known as language death has started to accelerate as the world has grown smaller.This extinction of languages, and the knowledge therein, has no parallel in human history. K. David Harrison's book is the first to focus on the essential question, what is lost when a language dies? What forms of knowledge are embedded in a language's structure and vocabulary? And how harmful is it to humanity that such knowledge is lost forever?Harrison spans the globe from Siberia, to North America, to the Himalayas and elsewhere, to look at the human knowledge that is slowly being lost as the languages that express it fade from sight. He uses fascinating anecdotes and portraits of some of these languages' last remaining speakers, in order to demonstrate that this knowledge about ourselves and the world is inherently precious and once gone, will be lost forever. This knowledge is not only our cultural heritage (oral histories, poetry, stories, etc.) but very useful knowledge about plants, animals, the seasons, and other aspects of the natural world--not to mention our understanding of the capacities of the human mind. Harrison's book is a testament not only to the pressing issue of language death, but to the remarkable span of human knowledge and ingenuity. It will fascinate linguists, anthropologists, and general readers. |
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Página 119
... island , you compare the known elevations of origin and destination . You then factor in other aspects of the island's landscape and the mode of transport help de- termine which verb is appropriate . A schematic for this complex ...
... island , you compare the known elevations of origin and destination . You then factor in other aspects of the island's landscape and the mode of transport help de- termine which verb is appropriate . A schematic for this complex ...
Página 120
... island along an axis that bisects it . The verbs hage , hivo , and vano are also used to contrast types of going between islands . In this context , however , the verbs refer to directional movement that is different from the ' going ...
... island along an axis that bisects it . The verbs hage , hivo , and vano are also used to contrast types of going between islands . In this context , however , the verbs refer to directional movement that is different from the ' going ...
Página 130
... Island in Indonesia have two overlapping frames of reference for orientation . The first repre- sents upstream / downstream / across ( as on Ambae Island , any upstream direction will be inland , and any downstream will be seaward ) ...
... Island in Indonesia have two overlapping frames of reference for orientation . The first repre- sents upstream / downstream / across ( as on Ambae Island , any upstream direction will be inland , and any downstream will be seaward ) ...
Otras ediciones - Ver todo
When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion ... K. David Harrison Vista de fragmentos - 2007 |
When Languages Die : The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion ... K. David Harrison Assistant Professor of Linguistics Swarthmore College No hay ninguna vista previa disponible - 2007 |
Términos y frases comunes
Ainu ancestral animals behavior birds body body-counting Borôro classifier cognitive complex counting systems cultures cycles ecological encoded endangered languages English example extinction Figure fingers fish Folk taxonomies forest genetic guage hand Hanunóo herding hivo human hunting Ifugao indigenous island Kaluli Karaim Kaurna Kewa knowledge landscape last speakers linguistic living lunar calendar lunar months maps Marovo Marta mathematical means metaphors migration Mlabri Monchak Mongolian month names moon phases mountains Musqueam myth native Nggela Nivkh number sense number system number words objects oral Papua New Guinea patterns Pirahã plants Pomo reindeer reindeer herders rice river Rotokas Russian scientists Siberia sign languages small languages song sound speak species speech spoken story survival Tabasaran talk taxonomies tion Tofa tongue traditional Tuvan nomads Uda River vanish Vanuatu Vasya Ventureño verb village vowels Wayampi world's languages writing system Yakkha Yanyuwa Yukaghir Yuki
Referencias a este libro
Language Anxiety: Conflict and Change in the History of English Tim William Machan Vista previa restringida - 2009 |
The Quest for Jewish Assimilation in Modern Social Science Amos Morris-Reich No hay ninguna vista previa disponible - 2008 |