THERE are estimated to be 6900 languages spoken in the world today. By the end of this century, 90 per cent may have disappeared entirely, according to 1000 Languages, an authoritative and copiously illustrated global survey edited by , director of the Endangered Languages Academic Programme at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, with contributions from 13 academic linguists based in Europe, the US and Australia.
If this sounds alarmist, think of the once well-established languages that are now extinct. Ancient Egyptian was spoken, and written in hieroglyphs, for three millennia. Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian were spoken, and…
