language death and language shift in Russian

[Alina Israeli]

>translation "smert' iazyka".  For "language death" I have also seen
>"utrata iazyka", but that eliminates the distinction between language
>death and language loss.  For "dying language" I have seen
>"umiraiushchii iazyk".

If by "death" you mean 'extinction' it should be "vymirajushchij jazyk".
Compare:

Potapov, V. V.. K sovremennomu sostoianiiu problemy vymiraiushchikh iazykov
v nekotorykh regionakh mira Voprosy Iazykoznaniia. 5:3-15. 1997 Sept-Oct.
G-19, Russia

Dore, L.-Zh.. Mokat, A. I. (tr.). Vozrozhdenie ili vymiranie iazyka v
kanadskoi arktike Voprosy Iazykoznaniia. 4:60-62. 1992 July-Aug. Moscow,
Russia

 Leman, K.. Kalinina, E. Iu. (tr.). Dokumentatsiia iazykov,
nakhodiashchikhsia pod ugrozoi vymiraniia: Pervoocherednaia zadacha
lingvistiki Voprosy Iazykoznaniia. 2:180-91. 1996 Mar-Apr. Moscow, Russia

There also could be "otmiranie" (I found only two citations and for good
reasons, there are many more on "vymirajushchij jazyk"), but it means
'death due to uselessness'. Note that they are both over 30 years old.

 1. Bondaletov, V.D.. Social'no-ekonomiceskie predposylki otmiranija
uslovno-professional'nyx jazykov i osnovnye zakonomernosti etogo processa.
Nauka. Leningrad; 398-414. 1969

      Book Citation
         Voprosy social'noj lingvistiki.. Desnickaja, A.V.; Zirmunskij,
V.M.; Kovtun, L.S..

     2. Ariste, P. A.. Puti otmiranija dvux pribaltijsko-finskix jazykov
Nauka. Moscow; 115-119. 1967

      Book Citation
         Problemy jazykoznanija.

**************************************************************
Alina Israeli
LFS, American University                phone:  (202) 885-2387
4400 Mass. Ave., NW                     fax:    (202) 885-1076
Washington, DC 20016

aisrael at american.edu

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