Emma Seideman
Part 1:
The 3 languages that I chose that are endangered, Threatened, and vulnerable are
Kibala, Columbia-Wenatchi, and Sirenik. Kibala is a vulnerable language spoken mostly
in the center of kibala, cela, and ebo in Angola, South Africa. It is mostly the parent
generation that understand that language, however, some youth may speak the
language but is not common to speak Kibala outside of the home. Portuguese and
Kimbundu are a lot more common in this region so most younger generations speak this
as their main language. Because Portuguese and Kimbundu are much more common
the Kimbala language is vulnerable. Columbia-Wenatchi language is a critically
endangered language. There are only 25 known speakers of the language. These
people are mostly over 70 years of age with their children knowing very little or none of
the language. This language is located in central Washington along the Columbia River.
Because English is the predicant language in America this language is dying out very
quickly. The last language I chose is Sirenik which is now Dormant. The last known
Sirenik speaker, Valentina Wye, died in 1997. This language was mostly spoken in small
villages in sirenic and imtuk, however, most people shifted to Siberian Yupik and
Russian in the mid -20th century, therefor making it endangered and now dormant.
Part 2:
a. Where is Sami spoken?
Sami is spoken in Norway, Sweden, and Finland
b. What languages is Sami related to?
Finish, Hungarian, Estonian
c. Does Sami have distinct dialects?
Yes, it does. It is mostly split up into where it is spoken. For example,
Finland and Sweden would use different dialects of Sami.
d. What does the author mean when she describes Sami as a “naturebased” language? What might be the value of documenting such a
language?
It represents the same language close relationship to nature, such as
specific phrases for reindeer herding and fishing. This language is very
unique and so connected to nature that it would be almost like an artifice
to write it down.
e. Why has the vitality of the language declined?
Mostly due to the other languages, such as finish, Sweden, and
Norwegian being so popular and the main form of language in Sami areas.
f. Why is it important to focus revitalization activities on Sami children?
There is a lot of specific things that the Sami culture does and with the
language dying so does the community and culture. With revitalization it
keeps the Sami culture, community, and overall lifestyle thriving.
Part 3:
a. arbitrariness in language- It is the absence of any natural connection
between a words meaning and its sound/form. Example: the word tree is
arbre in French but Baum in German.
b. mutually intelligible dialects- This is the idea that people can understand
each other from different dialects without any extra effort. Example: Me
bing from Idaho would understand someone from the south or from the UK
without any confusion
c. an endangered language- Endangered languages are languages that are
dying out and only older generations speak constantly with little to no
younger generation speakers. Columbia-Wenatchi is an example of this.
d. a factor which might contribute to language endangerment- Biggest factor
is other langauges are dominant therefor there is less need or use of the
language. Example- English is much more popular over ColumbiaWenatchi.
e. an example of language change- Old English vs Modern English. Our
language has changed a lot since the use of old English.
f. a systematic fact of English that is not discussed in Chapter 1- The
English language has had “new words” put Into the official dictionary
almost more than any other language.
Part 4:
a. The sentence Who did you give it to? is incorrect, since it ends with a
preposition. PRESCRIPTIVE
b. The sentence Who did you give it to? ends with a preposition.
DESCRIPTIVE
c. Always say John and I, never John and me. PRESCRIPTIVE
d. In English, numerals are never placed between an adjective and a
noun, so black three dogs is ungrammatical. PRESCRIPTIVE
e. Ain’t is used in a variety of English dialects. DESCRIPTIVE