Endangered languages I

Most of the seven thousand languages spoken today are at risk of disappearing in the 21st century. While languages have always evolved, the current rate of extinction is unprecedented, impacting individual communities and diminishing global linguistic heritage. This crisis has prompted varied responses from linguists: sociolinguists focus on revitalization efforts to reverse the shift away from minority languages, while general linguists examine the structural changes languages undergo as they decline. Recently, there has been a heightened emphasis on language documentation, which involves capturing and archiving audiovisual recordings before languages are lost. Additionally, linguists face ethical dilemmas regarding their involvement in non-academic support for the communities they study. The exploration of language endangerment is a relatively new subfield within linguistics, and this four-volume collection represents a pioneering effort, compiling research from leading scholars over the past sixty years. An introductory overview by the editors outlines key issues in the field, while specific introductions contextualize individual articles. This comprehensive work serves as an essential reference for researchers and students interested in language endangerment and related disciplines.