Besides rejecting the notion 'ancient language' it is also possible to
try to understand what is meant by it. Maybe it refers to the Andaman
Islanders' relative isolation from outside influences for thousands of
years, leaving the seldom case of a group of languages having almost
exclusively changed by internal development. This is precisely the
reason why the disappearance of Andaman languages is a particularly sad
loss to human cultural heritage and to science.<br>
<br>It is interesting, though, that the article in the Hindu <a href="http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article100977.ece" target="_blank">http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article100977.ece</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">
</div> is so much more sober and informative than the one in BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8498534.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8498534.stm</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">
</div>.<br>
<br>Ole Stig Andersen<br>Denmark's Language Museum<br><a href="http://www.sprogmuset.dk/" target="_blank">www.sprogmuset.dk</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">
</div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2010/2/5 bart jacobs <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bikkerseiland@hotmail.com">bikkerseiland@hotmail.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>
I completely agree, "ancient language" is really a misnomer. <br>
Still, "older" (e.g. Portuguese) and "newer" (e.g. Cape Verdean Creole) languages definitely exist. There is no illusion to dispel there. <br>
Best, <br>
Bart<br>
<br> <br>> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 10:23:32 +0100<br>> From: <a href="mailto:johanna.laakso@UNIVIE.AC.AT" target="_blank">johanna.laakso@UNIVIE.AC.AT</a><br>> Subject: Re: Aka-Bo<br>> To: <a href="mailto:ENDANGERED-LANGUAGES-L@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG" target="_blank">ENDANGERED-LANGUAGES-L@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG</a><div>
<div></div><div class="h5"><br>> <br>> So sad.<br>> <br>> What also made me sad was the way the BBC article was written: "an ancient<br>> language"... as if there were "older" and "newer" languages (one of the<br>
> staples of any introduction to historical-comparative linguistics is to<br>> dispel this illusion), and as if the death of any ("less ancient") language<br>> would not be such a loss to mankind.<br>> <br>
> Best<br>> Johanna Laakso<br>> <br>> <br>> Am 5.2.2010 09:53 schrieb "Nicholas Ostler" unter<br>> <<a href="mailto:nostler@CHIBCHA.DEMON.CO.UK" target="_blank">nostler@CHIBCHA.DEMON.CO.UK</a>>:<br>
> <br>> > Brief exposure for Bo on the BBC's Radio 4 Today Programme this morning:<br>> > <br>> > <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8499000/8499752.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8499000/8499752.stm</a><br>
> > <br>> > I don't suppose so many people have ever heard it before, and now it is<br>> > gone.<br>> > <br>> > <br>> > Benjamin Barrett wrote:<br>> >> Wikipedia has the extinction of Aka-Bo on its main page.<br>
> >> <br>> >> BBC has an article as well:<br>> >> <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8498534.stm?ls" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8498534.stm?ls</a><br>> >> <br>
> >> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aka-Bo_language" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aka-Bo_language</a><br>> >> <a href="http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=akm" target="_blank">http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=akm</a><br>
> >> <br>> >> Benjamin barrett<br>> >> Seattle, WA<br>> >> <br>> <br>> -- <br>> Univ.-Prof. Dr. Johanna Laakso<br>> Universität Wien, Institut für Europäische und Vergleichende Sprach- und<br>
> Literaturwissenschaft (EVSL) | Abteilung Finno-Ugristik<br>> Universitätscampus Spitalgasse 2-4 Hof 7, A-1090 Wien<br>> Tel. +43 1 4277 43019 | Fax +43 1 4277 9430<br>> <a href="mailto:johanna.laakso@univie.ac.at" target="_blank">johanna.laakso@univie.ac.at</a> | <a href="http://homepage.univie.ac.at/Johanna.Laakso/" target="_blank">http://homepage.univie.ac.at/Johanna.Laakso/</a><br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Ole Stig Andersen <br>Mail: <a href="mailto:olestigs@gmail.com">olestigs@gmail.com</a><br>Mobil: (+45) 2294 2045<br>Skype: olestigs<br>Web: <a href="http://www.sprogmuseet.dk">www.sprogmuseet.dk</a><br>