I’m dipping into the archives for this Friday afternoon book suggestion. Originally released in 2003, this fascinating look at the world of endangered languages introduces readers to just some of the over 6,000 languages that exist today. Unfortunately, author Mark Abley tells us, that number is dropping significantly — threatened tongues will continue to die off at a rate of about one every two weeks. Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages is an investigative look at why languages are disappearing.
Abley’s book introduces us to little-known tribes and their virtually unknown words, examining the forces at play that are driving these exotic languages into extinction. As Gadling’s own language diva Adrienne has shown us through her Word for the Travel Wise series, the beauty and cultural diversity of the spoken word keeps us all connected and communicating as we travel through this world. As languages like Murrinh-Patha (Australia), Mi’kmaq (eastern Canada and Maine) and Boro (India) disappear, will all we have left someday be English, and its butchered info-age dialects, email and texting? Take a trip through Abley’s world of troubled tongues and decide for yourself.