{"product_id":"vanishing-voices-the-extinction-of-the-worlds-languages-9780195136241","title":"Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages","description":"\u003cp\u003eFew people know that nearly 100 native languages once spoken in what is now California are near extinction  or that most of Australias 250 aboriginal languages have vanished. In fact  at least half of the worlds languages may die out in the next century. What has happened to these voices? Should we be alarmed about the disappearance of linguistic diversity? The authors of Vanishing Voices assert that this trend is far more than simply disturbing. Making explicit the link between language survival and environmental issues  they argue that the extinction of languages is part of the larger picture of near-total collapse of the worldwide ecosystem. Indeed  the authors contend that the struggle to preserve precious environmental resources-such as the rainforest-cannot be separated from the struggle to maintain diverse cultures  and that the causes of language death  like that of ecological destruction  lie at the intersection of ecology and politics. And while Nettle and Romaine defend the worlds endangered languages  they also pay homage to the last speakers of dying tongues  such as Red Thundercloud  a Native American in South Carolina  Ned Mandrell  with whom the Manx language passed away in 1974  and Arthur Bennett  an Australian  the last person to know more than a few words of Mbabaram. In our languages lies the accumulated knowledge of humanity. Indeed  each language is a unique window on experience. Vanishing Voices is a call to preserve this resource  before it is too late.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45666025308213,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195136241","price":32.23,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195136241.jpg?v=1782415669","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/vanishing-voices-the-extinction-of-the-worlds-languages-9780195136241","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}