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<TITLE>RE: small vital languages</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Steven<BR>
<BR>
I can confirm that Murriny Patha is alive and well - still being learned by children. The rough estimate is 2500 speakers [the Indigenous population of Wadeye, NT, where it has become the lingua franca] but it's probable that there are other speakers - particularly at places like Kununurra, WA.<BR>
<BR>
Inevitably some loan words from English have been ingested. Otherwise there has been some reduction in knowledge of the more arcane reaches of an awesome morphology.<BR>
<BR>
Best regards<BR>
<BR>
Michael<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: stevenbird1@gmail.com on behalf of Steven Bird<BR>
Sent: Thu 12/23/2010 5:05 PM<BR>
To: rnlist<BR>
Subject: small vital languages<BR>
<BR>
Can anyone suggest the names of languages having small speaker<BR>
populations that still have a good level of intergenerational transfer<BR>
and good survival prospects?<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
-Steven Bird<BR>
<BR>
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