ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 discusses the emergence of new languages and the ‘death’ of existing languages.
Darwin’s ideas about evolution have been applied to language as well. Language change was commonly seen as a process of degeneration. Today, we see language as a medium (e.g. a medium of instruction), but biological and industrial metaphors are widely used as well.
The birth of a language is a metaphor for the emergence of a new variety. Afrikaans, long considered a Dutch dialect, is now recognized as a separate and standardized language. The expansion of English led to the emergence of many other varieties of English which may develop into new languages as well.
Language death is a natural process, but the pace at which languages are disappearing is unprecedented. There is an obvious link between language death and globalization. A language dies when its last speaker dies or when speakers do not identify with their language anymore. Debates about language death and revitalization often hide underlying political issues. Last but not least, the death of a language does not necessarily mean the death of a culture, as revealed by black American culture in the United States.
