Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages

Knowledge of the world's languages has never been more comprehensive than it is today; yet never have so many been threatened by extinction. Defining as endangered those languages in which older speakers are failing - for whatever reason - to pass on their native speech to younger generations, this Encyclopedia is the first to catalogue and describe them in depth.
Each regional section in this work explores the problems of language preservation in the area, surveys known extinct languages and problems of classification, and provides a list of all known languages within the region, with special marking of those listed as endangered or extinct in subsequent entries. The list is followed by A-Z entries covering each language listed as endangered.
Edited by internationally regarded specialist Christopher Moseley, co-editor of the classic Atlas of the World's Languages, this is an essential resource for linguists, language-lovers, and anyone who believes that the human community is impoverished by the loss of even one language.

The concern for the fast-disappearing language stocks of the world has arisen particularly in the past decade, as a result of the impact of globalization. This book appears as an answer to a felt need: to catalogue and describe those languages, making up the vast majority of the world's six thousand or more distinct tongues, which are in danger of disappearing within the next few decades. Endangerment is a complex issue, and the reasons why so many of the world's smaller, less empowered languages are not being passed on to future generations today are discussed in the book's introduction. The introduction is followed by regional sections, each authored by a notable specialist, combining to provide a comprehensive listing of every language which, by the criteria of endangerment set out in the introduction, is likely to disappear within the next few decades. These languages make up ninety per cent of the world's remaining language stocks. Each regional section comprises an introduction that deals with problems of language preservation peculiar to the area, surveys of known extinct languages, and problems of classification. The introduction is followed by a list of all known languages within the region, endangered or not, arranged by genetic affiliation, with endangered and extinct languages marked. This listing is followed by entries in alphabetical order covering each language listed as endangered. Useful maps are provided to pinpoint the more complex clusters of smaller languages in every region of the world. The Encyclopedia therefore provides in a single resource: expert analysis of the current language policy situation in every multilingual country and on every continent, detailed descriptions of little-known languages from all over the world, and clear alphabetical entries, region by region, of all the world's languages currently thought to be in danger of extinction. The Encyclopedia of the World’s Endangered Languages will be a necessary addition to all academic linguistics collections and will be a useful resource for a range of readers with an interest in development studies, cultural heritage and international affairs.

Chapter 1 North America, VictorGolla; Chapter 2 Latin America, WillenAdelaar; Chapter 3 Europe and North Asia, Tapani Salminen; Chapter 4 South Asia and the Middle East, George vanDriem; Chapter 5 East and Southeast Asia, David Bradley; Chapter 6 Australasia and the Pacific, Stephen A. Wurm; Chapter 7 Africa, Gerrit J.Dimmendaal, F. K. ErhardVoeltz;

Christopher Moseley has recently retired from two decades spent covering Baltic affairs for BBC Monitoring, part of the BBC World Service. He now works as a freelance translator and editor, with a particular lifelong interest in the languages and literatures of the Baltic and Nordic areas. He is the editor of the Journal of the Foundation for Endangered Languages. His other books include Atlas of the World's Languages (Routledge, 2007), Colloquial Latvian (Routledge, 1996) and Colloquial Estonian (Routledge, 1994).