Re: Saving endangered langs (was Re: Extrapolating languages)

From:    jcowan@REUTERSHEALTH.COM
> Dirk Elzinga scripsit:
> > I think that the *sole* determining factor concerning language
> > preservation efforts should be the wishes of the community.
>
> Well, I think it's useful to differentiate here between mere documentation
> and active anti-language-death measures.  The latter, as you say, are
> plainly a matter for the community of speakers or would-be speakers.
> I don't see, however, that there are any ethical strictures against
> documenting a language even if the community (or the larger part of
> it) is willing to let the language go extinct.
And:

From:    Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>
> Quoting Dirk Elzinga <dirk_elzinga@...>:
>
> > This distinction is easy for us to make, but there are objections
> > even to documentation work. I have heard more than once that what
> > I was doing was "stealing" the language; my access to it was not
> > perceived as legitimate because I was not a member of the community.
>
> I find the concept of actively wanting others not to learn one's
> language difficult to comprehend. Now, that's also true of plenty of
> other things that others find obvious, but I'd be interested in hearing
> an explanation of the attitude, if anyone has one to offer.
In a number of cultures, the use of language has magical or
religious value and must be used in the appropriate ritual
contexts. In these communities, outsiders simply don't have
"standing" to use them, and recording can lead to abuse and
sacrilege that would literally be an offense to the gods. In
this sense, recording the language can be deeply offensive
and thus (here's the answer to John's question) there is the
ethical dilemma about which is more valuable: offending science
and posterity, or offending present day speakers.

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier            "I find it useful to meet my subjects personally,
Dept. of Linguistics    because our secret police don't get it right
University of Chicago   half the time." -- octogenarian Sheikh Zayed of
1010 E. 59th Street     Abu Dhabi, to a French reporter.
Chicago, IL 60637

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