Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
  1. Home
  2. Books
  3. Language Death
  • Cited by 564
      • Show more authors
      • You may already have access via personal or institutional login
    • Select format
    • Publisher:
      Cambridge University Press
      Publication date:
      05 November 2011
      26 June 2000
      ISBN:
      9781139106856
      DOI:
      https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139106856
      Dimensions:
      Weight & Pages:
      Dimensions:
      Weight & Pages:
      • Subjects:
      Sociolinguistics, Anthropology: General Interest, Anthropology, Language and Linguistics
    You may already have access via personal or institutional login
    • Selected: Digital
    Add to cart View cart Buy from Cambridge.org
    Subjects:
    Sociolinguistics, Anthropology: General Interest, Anthropology, Language and Linguistics
    Information

    Book description

    The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6000 or so languages in the world are 'safe' from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, 'Why is language death so important?', reviews the reasons for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. The book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further.

    Reviews

    ‘… this work is directed at anyone with an interest in humanities and a concern about our future as mankind. Its wealth of information, observation and analysis enlightens the mind and invigorates the spirit of community and identity.’

    Source: Language International‘

    ‘This is the most personal and passionate of the many excellent books that Crystal has written in the past two decades.’

    Source: The Times Higher Education Supplement

    ‘David Crystal [is] the most charismatic lexicographer since Dr Johnson.’

    Boyd Tonkin Source: Independent

    ‘A serious study of why so many languages across the world are dying.’

    Hasan Suroor Source: The Hindu

    Professor David Crystal, a linguistics expert, whose book Language Death examines the prospects for 3,000 endangered languages.’ in an article on Celtic languages.’

    Source: Independent on Sunday

    ‘Fascinating to the specialist and non-specialist alike, this is an important book which puts across its point in clear accessible prose.’

    Source: Contemporary Review

    ‘… inspiring by its inexhaustible optimism and its firm belief that something can and should be done …’.

    Source: Asian and African Studies

    'Thanks to his skilful deployment of statistics, his book brings out starkly the scale of language loss that we are currently experiencing …'.

    Source: The Linguist

    Refine List

    Actions for selected content:

    Select all | Deselect all
    • View selected items
    • Export citations
    • Download PDF (zip)
    • Save to Kindle
    • Save to Dropbox
    • Save to Google Drive

    Save Search

    You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

    Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
    Cancel
    ×

    Contents

    Contents

    Metrics

    Altmetric attention score

    Full text views

    Total number of HTML views: 0
    Total number of PDF views: 0 *
    Loading metrics...

    Book summary page views

    Total views: 0 *
    Loading metrics...

    * Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

    Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

    Accessibility standard: Unknown

    Why this information is here

    This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

    Accessibility Information

    Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.