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There is a particularly human egotism with respect to "saving" things that have outlived their usefulness and purpose, or preserving things that should be chang

There is a particularly human egotism with respect to "saving" things that have outlived their usefulness and purpose, or preserving things that should be changing. If language can be viewed through its evolutionary purpose, these dying languages are simply experiments that did not pan out, and should be allowed to become extinct.

yrlson 12y ago
That's not really reasoning, just self-fulfilling prophecy. Hebrew was revived, and I can't see a solid reason why the same could not be done on a smaller scale.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- gizmo686 12y ago
  The question isn't can a language be revived, it is should a language be revived. I am of the opinion that it was a mistake to revive Hebrew, as doing so has needlessly introduced language barriers.
  - _ak 12y ago
    It also turned out to be a consensus language for Jews from around the world that moved to Mandatory Palestine and later Israel.
  - panglott 12y ago
    As I understand it, there was already a language barrier in Yiddish vs. Judeo-Arabic.
JulianMorrison 12y ago
Many of these cultures (including their language) were forcefully banned, obliterated by law, lynching, displacement. discriminatory treatment, and the stealing of children. I do not exaggerate. So don't pretend they are dying of natural causes when the knife is still sticking out of their back.
- 67726e 12y ago
  To play the devil's advocate, maybe they deserve to die out. If they would have innovated and conquered first, their language could have lived and ours could be the one on its deathbed. Survival of the fittest, if you will.
  - _ak 12y ago
    I knew I'd stumble upon Social Darwinism pretty soon here.
  - Dewie 12y ago
    > To play the devil's advocate, maybe they deserve to die out. In other words "let me present my genuine opinion by wrapping it in a more presentable delivery".
    - 67726e 12y ago
      I really have no opinion either way. The thought just crossed my head. What if.
  - JulianMorrison 12y ago
    The devil has enough advocates. Every time the words "to play the devil's advocate..." cross your brain, just punch yourself in the face instead. Soon the urge will pass.
    - 67726e 12y ago
      Every time you feel like posting a snarky reply on Hacker News, go fuck yourself. It's an honest question and I was hoping for some interesting answers. I was hoping someone would come along and have something interesting a la Jarred Diamond's "Guns, Germs, & Steel"[0] that may explore what role languages had on development of cultures, similar to the aforementioned book's exploration of the development of civilizations and how that led to the fateful interactions that have shaped the modern world. No, instead of an insightful answer, let's just let our liberal outrage fly at a comment that could not possibly have any good or real intent behind it. I'm clearly just a neo-Nazi posting up in here in HN, advocating the destruction of those damn Injuns! God forbid one uses a rhetorical device! [0] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel
gurkendoktor 12y ago
When do songs and poetry written in a particular language outlive their usefulness and purpose? When I feel pity for an endangered language it's usually not because I want to read user manuals or order pizza, but because so many works of art will be lost.
panglott 12y ago
"experiments that did not pan out"? More than 90% of their community was slaughtered in the Selk’nam Genocide, and the survivors were resettled in a mission camp. This is like saying that Yiddish in Germany in the 20th century was an "experiment that didn't pan out." There is no need to pretend that what happened to these communities was ethically neutral.

yrlson 12y ago

That's not really reasoning, just self-fulfilling prophecy. Hebrew was revived, and I can't see a solid reason why the same could not be done on a smaller scale.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
gizmo686 12y ago
The question isn't can a language be revived, it is should a language be revived. I am of the opinion that it was a mistake to revive Hebrew, as doing so has needlessly introduced language barriers.
- _ak 12y ago
  It also turned out to be a consensus language for Jews from around the world that moved to Mandatory Palestine and later Israel.
- panglott 12y ago
  As I understand it, there was already a language barrier in Yiddish vs. Judeo-Arabic.

JulianMorrison 12y ago

Many of these cultures (including their language) were forcefully banned, obliterated by law, lynching, displacement. discriminatory treatment, and the stealing of children. I do not exaggerate. So don't pretend they are dying of natural causes when the knife is still sticking out of their back.

67726e 12y ago
To play the devil's advocate, maybe they deserve to die out. If they would have innovated and conquered first, their language could have lived and ours could be the one on its deathbed. Survival of the fittest, if you will.
- _ak 12y ago
  I knew I'd stumble upon Social Darwinism pretty soon here.
- Dewie 12y ago
  > To play the devil's advocate, maybe they deserve to die out. In other words "let me present my genuine opinion by wrapping it in a more presentable delivery".
  - 67726e 12y ago
    I really have no opinion either way. The thought just crossed my head. What if.
- JulianMorrison 12y ago
  The devil has enough advocates. Every time the words "to play the devil's advocate..." cross your brain, just punch yourself in the face instead. Soon the urge will pass.
  - 67726e 12y ago
    Every time you feel like posting a snarky reply on Hacker News, go fuck yourself. It's an honest question and I was hoping for some interesting answers. I was hoping someone would come along and have something interesting a la Jarred Diamond's "Guns, Germs, & Steel"[0] that may explore what role languages had on development of cultures, similar to the aforementioned book's exploration of the development of civilizations and how that led to the fateful interactions that have shaped the modern world. No, instead of an insightful answer, let's just let our liberal outrage fly at a comment that could not possibly have any good or real intent behind it. I'm clearly just a neo-Nazi posting up in here in HN, advocating the destruction of those damn Injuns! God forbid one uses a rhetorical device! [0] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel

gurkendoktor 12y ago

When do songs and poetry written in a particular language outlive their usefulness and purpose? When I feel pity for an endangered language it's usually not because I want to read user manuals or order pizza, but because so many works of art will be lost.

panglott 12y ago

"experiments that did not pan out"? More than 90% of their community was slaughtered in the Selk’nam Genocide, and the survivors were resettled in a mission camp. This is like saying that Yiddish in Germany in the 20th century was an "experiment that didn't pan out." There is no need to pretend that what happened to these communities was ethically neutral.