The Welsh blueprint for saving the Hawaiian language, and others

[Tommy Tainant]

Quite an interesting piece on languages at risk. It seems that the key is to award the language official status.

Welsh was saved from extinction. Cantonese might not be so lucky - CNN

Far from being on the verge of extinction, Welsh is often held up today as an example of how grassroots organizing and government support can revive a language.

This was the case in Hawaii, where indigenous language activists were facing a much harder task than their Welsh counterparts, according to Gary Holton, a researcher with the Endangered Language Project.

"Almost everywhere the language had ceased to be a first language," he said. "The break in transmission was fairly complete, it required a real effort to jump start the language again ... you had to essentially skip a generation, bring in these grandparents and great-grandparents and get them to interact with preschool-age children."

 

[fncceo]

The Welsh Language has led to a world-wide letter drought.

 

[22lcidw]

Quite an interesting piece on languages at risk. It seems that the key is to award the language official status.

Welsh was saved from extinction. Cantonese might not be so lucky - CNN

Far from being on the verge of extinction, Welsh is often held up today as an example of how grassroots organizing and government support can revive a language.

This was the case in Hawaii, where indigenous language activists were facing a much harder task than their Welsh counterparts, according to Gary Holton, a researcher with the Endangered Language Project.

"Almost everywhere the language had ceased to be a first language," he said. "The break in transmission was fairly complete, it required a real effort to jump start the language again ... you had to essentially skip a generation, bring in these grandparents and great-grandparents and get them to interact with preschool-age children."

Let China have Hawaii. Maizie the crazy would see reality then.

 

[basquebromance]

learning Welsh is on my bucket list. one of my favorite bands, Funeral For A Friend, are from Wales! they have a song about the history of Wales!

 

[WillMunny]

Have you been to Hawaii, Tommy? I have 13 times and it's about a century too late for a Hawaiian language revival; Hawaiian is a completely dead language compared to English. Even most Polynesian locals only know a few dozen Hawaiian words. Their indigenous language is forgotten (outside the privately owned island of Ni'ihau).

The English language has so many natural linguistic advantages, it still happens to be as imperialistic as the English themselves once were; everywhere English goes it bulldozes other native languages because English is such a flexible language, with the largest vocabulary on earth (close to a million words), that it's a far more descriptive, practical language than any others. Did you know that I've met quite a few native Hawaiians who knew even fewer native Hawaiian words than this white English-speaker does?

 

[Blackrook]

i don't mean to be insensitive, Tommy, but the revival of dead or dying languages is a waste of time.

 

[fncceo]

i don't mean to be insensitive, Tommy, but the revival of dead or dying languages is a waste of time.

How dare you say that!

 

[percysunshine]

Latin anyone?