ABSTRACT
Chapter 13 examines the origins, spread, and loss of languages, beginning with a discussion of theories about how human language emerged and evolved. It asks how languages are related, describing the Indo-European language family and briefly touching on other language families. It then offers a brief history of the English language, including its global spread and the emergence of New Englishes. The origins of American Sign Language are also discussed. The chapter concludes with a detailed examination of language loss, including what causes such loss, why we should care about that loss, and what is being done to stem it.
