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Language death. David Crystal. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Pp. 208.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2001

R. Bruce Thompson  and
Jean Berko Gleason
R. Bruce Thompson
Affiliation:
Harvard University
Jean Berko Gleason
Affiliation:
Boston University
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Abstract

“On 4 November 1995 Kasabe existed; on 5 November it did not.” This brief obituary in David Crystal's book (p. 1) does not refer to a creature. It refers to an African language, known as Luo, that had been spoken in Cameroon; on the day in question, Bogon, the last speaker of Kasabe, died, taking his language with him. According to Crystal, half of the world's current languages are in danger of dying, and the situation is so grave that an international and interdisciplinary effort must be mounted to rescue them. Crystal has written this book to alert us to the peril and to suggest ways in which our linguistic diversity might be maintained.

Type
Book Review
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , June 2001 , pp. 269 - 273
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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