Endangered Languages IV

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Most of the seven thousand languages spoken today face the risk of extinction in the 21st century. While languages have always evolved, the current rate of disappearance is unprecedented, impacting communities and diminishing global linguistic heritage. This crisis has prompted varied responses from linguists. Sociolinguists focus on language revitalization, exploring ways to reverse the shift away from minority languages, while general linguists examine the structural changes that occur as languages decline. Recently, there has been a heightened emphasis on language documentation, which involves capturing and archiving audiovisual recordings of languages at risk of vanishing. Additionally, linguists encounter ethical dilemmas regarding their involvement in non-academic support for the communities they study. The exploration of language endangerment is a relatively new subfield within linguistics. This four-volume collection represents a pioneering effort, compiling research from leading scholars over the past sixty years. An introductory overview by the editors outlines the main challenges faced by researchers today, while specific introductions to each volume provide context for the articles included. This comprehensive work is an invaluable reference for researchers and students interested in language endangerment and related fields.