Hey Marco.
I'm still around! With all this diversity
happening, shortly every list will be manned by only one person. Since I
feel that all ethnic groups have something in common (errrr, like everyone
being a human being) I like having an opportunity to converse, one
with another.
Let's focus for a second on the concept of language
extinction. Does the spoken word in a particular language actually
disappear or is it incorporated into another language? Latin is a dead
language but because texts written in Latin have been preserved, the language
lives forever. Some languages aren't as lucky, especially some of the
lesser known African languages, and because they are not recorded many linguists
view them as extinct when there are actual living people who can recall a word,
or concept, or feeling, in that now extinct language.
Language and species are similar in formation and
extinction. Supposedly my family is about to become extinct because
my father was the last male child and his offspring were both daughters.
However my sister has a son and daughter who will carry on the family genes and
my daughter will also distribute them. My new England dialect (I like to
call it Haverhillian) has been compromised by the many different places I've
lived while my sister's has been modified by New York's upper east
side.
I really doubt if language extinction actually
occurs.
Gerry
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 8:20
AM
Subject: [nostratic] Re: Is anybody
here?
--- In nostratic@yahoogroups.com,
"Geraldine Reinhardt" <waluk@......>
wrote:
>
> Hi Marco,
> I'm still around.
> A few
souls have moved to Nostratica
> but that's not hopping either.
>
> Gerry
Hello, dear Gerry!
The three lists Nostratic,
Nostratica and Nostratic-L
seem to be dead. There's no sign of
life.
Several lists are kept active almost only by mails
like this. The
only thing one can do is feeling blue.
Thanks for having joined
Language_extinction!
Best wishes
Marco