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Dying Languages, Fading Formats

Posted by michael on from the rosetta-cd-rom dept.

utopyr writes "A story on BBC News looks briefly at the problems in preserving human languages in digital formats. The scope of the problem? Of the world's roughly 6,500 languages (of which, fewer than 500 are listed here), half will be extinct within the century, as the last speakers die. However, formats are proving even more ephemeral than human memory."

3 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. Who cares? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    The world should have a common language. Why is it of concern if old, decrepit languages are put out of their misery? I'm sure scholars, academics, and other out-of-touch people who have never shed sweat in their lives are interested in such things, but the less languages on Earth, the better.

    --
    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  2. Is this really a big deal? by skaffen42 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Personally I think everyone should learn English. A lot of problems will be solved if everyone uses the same language. It will be a lot cheaper in the long run and remove many of the problems inherent in international commerce.

    This is one case where I say "Fuck cultural diversity". The benefits of a global language are just too great to ignore.

    BTW, English is NOT my first language.

    --
    People couldn't type. We realized: Death would eventually take care of this.
  3. Re:This is a bit harsh... by Randolpho · · Score: 2, Flamebait
    A tribal dialect of swahili used by a tribal village of canabals that died off by eating themselves and never had any texts, OTOH, should not be something worth keeping and studying...


    Agreed.
    --
    "Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
    -Marilyn Manson