Introduction

In this view, plurality of languages is a fallen state that refers back to an ideal of primal unity. Most linguists today, however, take the reverse view, namely that linguistic diversity is one of humanity’s greatest riches. ey lament the loss nowadays of ‘one language every two weeks’,1 and see this phenomenon of ‘vanishing voices’ as a great and largely irreversible cultural impoverishment.2 Bilingual societies are hailed for their political and cultural fairness, and bilingual education has come to be seen not only as a social asset, but also as a way of developing and reinforcing certain brain functions and of allowing greater linguistic and cultural adaptability. One result of this very positive vision is the rising interest shown by historians for the study of multilingualism in historical societies.