“Half of all human languages will have disappeared by the end of the century.”
…
” …each language lost leaves a gap in our understanding of the variable cognitive structures of which the human brain is capable. Studies of different languages have already revealed vastly different ways of representing and interpreting the world. Some Native American languages, for example, reveal a completely different understanding of the nature of time.”
An interesting (if somewhat half-hearted) article on language via NewScientist. Is it ironic or just sad that an article on the disappearance of language mounts such a lackluster exploration of the thought?
Still, somewhat interesting.