S23-083, Extinct Languages

It can be fascinating and mysterious to encounter an extinct language, which is a language that no longer has any speakers. We can discover words, sentences, and entire texts that once had meaning and importance for groups of people in the past, but no longer do. As it happens, there are many living languages spoken today that are on the brink of extinction. Of the 7,000 or so living languages on earth, it is estimated that by 2050 about 90% will have gone extinct. This course will examine extinct languages, contrast them with dead, dying, and dormant languages, and explore to what extent it might be possible to prevent language extinction and even sometimes bring an extinct language back from oblivion.
Presenter: Dr. Douglas Wulf
Dr. Douglas Wulf is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the English Department of George Mason University. In addition to Dr. Wulf’s interest in the history of the English Language, he does work in the study of meaning (semantics/pragmatics) and applied linguistics as it pertains to preparing individuals to become teachers of English as a second language. He has taught several classes for LLI-Manassas relating to the English language but also on his other fields of interest, especially religious subject matters. We look forward to having him return to LLI to teach another very interesting class.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne