Unesco: Languages under threat
 

Unesco: Languages under threat

Wednesday 22 February 2006, 21:33 Makka Time, 18:33 GMT

In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out

More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.

The day was marked at Unesco headquarters in Paris by a conference on
linguistic diversity focusing on the difficulties of African, Asian and
American minorities to preserve their traditional tongues.

Koichiro Matsuura, Unesco director-general, said: "When a language
dies, it is a vision of the world that disappears.

"Language is much more than an instrument, considerably more than a
tool."

He added: "In structuring our thoughts, in coordinating our social
relations and in building our relationship with reality, it constitutes
a fundamental dimension of the human being."

Internet a factor

A major part of Unesco's efforts to safeguard languages is aimed at
ensuring greater diversity on the internet and in official texts, the
organisation said.

Today 72% of internet sites are in English, followed by German at just
7%, and French, Japanese and Spanish at 3%.

About 90% of the world's languages are not represented at all on the
internet, Unesco said.

Some 20% of languages have no written version.

In Africa - where one-third of the world's languages are spoken - about
80% of these are purely oral, and thus in greater danger of dying out,
Unesco said.

The African Union has declared 2006 a year of African Languages.

Unesco: Languages under threat
 

Corgi bit me 'nads writes:

In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out

More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.

So?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

michaelnewportcrapman
 

So nothing, he posts what he finds that's all

"Mxsmanic" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
Corgi bit me 'nads writes:

In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out

More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.

So?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Unesco: Languages under threat
 

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:45:53 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

Corgi bit me 'nads writes:

In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out

More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.

So?

I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.
--
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
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Newportmichaelcrap
 

Opening your eyes at last ??

"Dave Frightens Me" a écrit dans
le message de news: ...
On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:45:53 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

Corgi bit me 'nads writes:

In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out

More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.

So?

I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Unesco: Languages under threat
 

Dave Frightens Me writes:

I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.

It's always surprising to see UNESCO climb out of its seemingly
perpetual state of slumber. The UNESCO complex always seems as quiet
as a tomb, except for the occasional nighttime party.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Unesco: Languages under threat
 

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:44:06 +0200, *~* Magda *~*
wrote:

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:39:44 +0200, in rec.travel.europe, Dave Frightens Me
arranged some electrons, so they looked like
this:

... On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:45:53 +0200, Mxsmanic
... wrote:
...
... Corgi bit me 'nads writes:
...
... In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out
...
... More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
... disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
... Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
...
... So?
...
... I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.

Not the devil-may-cares...

I just can't see the point in trying to preserve numerous under-used
dialects.

The dialect here in Genova is still alive, although no young (under
50) people can speak it without mixing in Italian. It doesn't seem to
have been a great tragedy.
--
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
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Unesco: Languages under threat
 

Dave Frightens Me wrote:
On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:44:06 +0200, *~* Magda *~*
wrote:

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:39:44 +0200, in rec.travel.europe, Dave Frightens Me
arranged some electrons, so they looked like
this:

... On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:45:53 +0200, Mxsmanic
... wrote:
...
... Corgi bit me 'nads writes:
...
... In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out
...
... More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
... disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
... Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
...
... So?
...
... I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.

Not the devil-may-cares...

I just can't see the point in trying to preserve numerous under-used
dialects.

The dialect here in Genova is still alive, although no young (under
50) people can speak it without mixing in Italian. It doesn't seem to
have been a great tragedy.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

you dont know what you've got til its gone......

Unesco: Languages under threat
 

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 11:36:40 +0200, *~* Magda *~*
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 11:22:36 +0200, in rec.travel.europe, Dave Frightens Me
arranged some electrons, so they looked like
this:

... On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:44:06 +0200, *~* Magda *~*
... wrote:
...
... On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:39:44 +0200, in rec.travel.europe, Dave Frightens Me
... arranged some electrons, so they looked like
... this:
...
... ... On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:45:53 +0200, Mxsmanic
... ... wrote:
... ...
... ... Corgi bit me 'nads writes:
... ...
... ... In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out
... ...
... ... More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
... ... disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
... ... Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
... ...
... ... So?
... ...
... ... I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.
...
... Not the devil-may-cares...
...
... I just can't see the point in trying to preserve numerous under-used
... dialects.

Sure. Who cares when a part of our very culture goes down the drain? Creation, Tradition,
Communication, Folklore, History... all ****, isn't it?

All of that can occur with whatever language, can't it?
--
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Unesco: Languages under threat
 

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:27:23 +0200, *~* Magda *~*
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:15:02 +0200, in rec.travel.europe, Dave Frightens Me
arranged some electrons, so they looked like
this:

... ... ... Corgi bit me 'nads writes:
... ... ...
... ... ... In Africa, 80% of oral dialects are in danger of dying out
... ... ...
... ... ... More than half of the 6000 languages spoken in the world today may
... ... ... disappear by the end of the century, the UN cultural organisation
... ... ... Unesco said on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
... ... ...
... ... ... So?
... ... ...
... ... ... I'll join Mixi at this point to say who really cares.
... ...
... ... Not the devil-may-cares...
... ...
... ... I just can't see the point in trying to preserve numerous under-used
... ... dialects.
...
... Sure. Who cares when a part of our very culture goes down the drain? Creation, Tradition,
... Communication, Folklore, History... all ****, isn't it?
...
... All of that can occur with whatever language, can't it?

What's your point? That some languages are not important given that other languages can
fulfill their purpose?

It's like saying that it does not matter if your wife dies - you can find a replacement.

Yes, it's just like that. These things are readily replaceable, just
like a pair on boots.
--
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DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--