<html>
<head>
<style><!--
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px;
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
font-size: 10pt;
font-family:Verdana
}
--></style>
</head>
<body class='hmmessage'>
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: johanna.laakso@UNIVIE.AC.AT<BR>> Subject: Re: Aka-Bo<BR>> To: ENDANGERED-LANGUAGES-L@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG<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>> <nostler@CHIBCHA.DEMON.CO.UK>:<BR>> <BR>> > Brief exposure for Bo on the BBC's Radio 4 Today Programme this morning:<BR>> > <BR>> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8499000/8499752.stm<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>> >> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8498534.stm?ls<BR>> >> <BR>> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aka-Bo_language<BR>> >> http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=akm<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>> johanna.laakso@univie.ac.at | http://homepage.univie.ac.at/Johanna.Laakso/<BR> <br /><hr />Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469228/direct/01/' target='_new'>Get it now.</a></body>
</html>