Every 40 days, another one dies — becoming extinct forever.
By the year 2100, that will be 3,500 lost.
We’re not talking about a species of animal, or variety of plant. We’re talking about languages — the foundation of human communication as we know it.
Over the centuries, certain languages have become more popular while others have faded, due to things like trade, migration, and oppression. Today, of the 7,000 languages still spoken, half of the global population speaks just 23.
This means that thousands of languages have only a few hundred, or even a dozen, speakers left — which is the precursor to a language’s death.
What a Language Death Looks Like
While a language can be quickly squashed from the Earth, such as in the case of genocide or government censoring, it’s usually a slower process.
Communities that speak a unique language may shrink, to the point where there are only a few fluent speakers left. The final nail in the lexicon’s coffin comes when the youth stops learning their native tongue. Then, the language disappears with the last speaker’s final breath.
The Outside Factors Affecting Language Loss
Unfortunately, some of the most language-rich places in the world are also those most threatened by climate change. Approximately 20% of all languages live within the Pacific region, which is also the area with the most displaced residents due to severe weather and rising sea levels.
Another factor contributing to language loss is technology, particularly AI. The most popular generative AI models like ChatGPT almost exclusively use English to produce their responses. This means that as we become more dependent on AI, smaller languages that aren’t incorporated into technology may become more of a “hassle” to use and speak.
So why should we put effort into saving these small languages, when it may be more efficient for people to adopt the more popular languages?
Because our thoughts, beliefs, and mental health can all be affected by the language we speak.
Does Language Shape Thought?
Language enables us to put a name to a certain object, of course, but it also allows us to define our thoughts and feelings. And we may even have a higher awareness of a concept because we have a word for it.
For example, the Danish word hygge has recently gained popularity online. Many English speakers have translated the term to mean “cozy,” but in reality, the word has a deeper meaning. It can define a special moment between loved ones, or the implementation of a self-love practice. Because this word is a common part of their verbal repertoire, the Danish may be more aware of taking time for hygge than English speakers are.
To further this point, we’re able to directly see the effects of not having a word in your vocabulary in the Himba tribe in Namibia. In the Himba language, there is no word for the color blue.
Even if they don’t have a word for blue, you might assume they can still see the color. Yet, an experiment showed that the tribal members had a harder time differentiating blue from other colors. This suggests that our vocabulary can actually affect how we observe our surroundings.
These examples follow the theory of “Whorfianism”: that language shapes the reality we see and thoughts we experience.
While some scientists maintain this is true, others believe language has less of a role in our critical thinking, as we are often able to experience things that we don’t have words for.
How Grammar Can Affect Our Beliefs
Language isn’t just about vocabulary. Each native tongue also has unique grammatical structures. In many languages, for example, nouns have a “grammatical gender.”
Even this simple categorization has lasting impacts on how we perceive a word. For example, “death” is a masculine word in German, but a feminine word in Russian. If you compare paintings from the two countries, you’ll see that German artists are more likely to portray death as a man, while Russians more often painted death as a woman.
Does viewing death as masculine versus feminine influence how we think about the idea of dying? Could the association affect how you view men or women on a foundational level?
While this is difficult to prove, the point shows how deeply language structure can soak into our psyche.
The Mental Health Benefits of Speaking One’s Mother Tongue
Preserving less-popular languages isn’t just important for a culture; it can also have direct implications for an individual. For example, one study found that a teenager from an indigenous community who was not well-versed in their native language had a six times higher chance of having suicidal ideations.
At the same time, teens who were fluent in their mother tongue were less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.
For people of all ages, research has shown how speaking one’s native language can positively impact a person’s view of their heritage, culture, and identity.
So what can we do to save these important lexicons?
Modeling Successful Language Re-Implementation
A dying language is able to be resurrected: just look to the Aloha State for inspiration.
The native Hawaiian language had whittled away to just 2,000 speakers in the 1980s when locals demanded action. Hawaiian language immersion schools were opened for children as young as three, and today, 18,000 people in Hawaii speak the language fluently.
Other small languages can use Hawaii as a model to follow. And it’s in all of our interests to help.
The popular language app, Duolingo, has a course in Hawaiian and has plans to add other endangered languages, as well.
The president of Ireland publicly thanked volunteers who worked on the Irish course in the app after it increased exposure to the Irish language to a staggering 3 million users — in stark contrast to its estimated 30,000 native speakers.
Whether you’re a native speaker of an endangered language, or merely interested in the role of language in society, we can all help bring awareness to this challenge.
With enough support and enthusiasm, perhaps a few more victims can be saved from the linguistic graveyard.
Mike Somerby identifies as a writer — with some reservation.
