Endangered Languages in Museum

[Marion Gunn]

Reluctantly, I have to row in behind Kevin here. Reluctantly, because 
I'm sure the original poster meant well. My language is defined as an 
endangered one, which brings us no end of trouble, as that definition 
seems to attract to us way too many coffin-chasers and necrophiliacs.
So, I'm with Kevin on this.
mg



Scríobh 31/08/2013 12:03, Rottet, Kevin James:
> I agree with this assessment of the coffin as gruesome and
> unconstructive. Frankly it would stop me from sending any words to be
> part of the display. I love the languages I work on, and sending them to
> a coffin is about the last thing I want to do.
>
> ***************************************************
> Kevin J. Rottet
> Associate Professor of French Linguistics
> Department of French and Italian, Indiana University
> 642 Ballantine Hall, 1020 E. Kirkwood Ave.
> Bloomington, IN 47405
> phone: (812) 855-6164
> fax: (812) 855-8877
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>      >> ----- Original Message -----
>      >> From: "Peter Austin" <pa2 at SOAS.AC.UK <mailto:pa2 at SOAS.AC.UK>>
>      >> To: ENDANGERED-LANGUAGES-L at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
>     <mailto:ENDANGERED-LANGUAGES-L at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
>      >> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 11:56:21 PM
>      >> Subject: Re: Endangered Languages in Museum
>      >>
>      >> Will there be a day when this death and dying metaphor can be
>     put to rest? A coffin? My goodness, can't we be a little bit more
>     creative? And a little bit more sensitive?
>      >>
>      >> How about sharing some lessons from communities working to
>     revitalise their languages? There are lots of games, apps and other
>     fun interactive things for kids to do that are freely available on
>     the internet now. Put a nice package of them together and sensitise
>     the kids to how languages are threatened but communities are
>     responding to strengthen their languages. You could start by looking
>     at www.firstvoices.com <http://www.firstvoices.com> and moving on
>     from there.
>      >>
>      >> That's my 2p worth.
>      >>
>      >> Peter Austin
>      >>
>      >>
>      >> On Friday, 30 August 2013, Lena Terhart < lena.terhart at gmx.de
>     <mailto:lena.terhart at gmx.de> > wrote:
>      >>> Dear Colleagues,
>      >>>
>      >>> the UNIKATUM children's museum in Leipzig, Germany, is
>     preparing an exhibition on language (
>     http://www.kindermuseum-unikatum.de/papperlapapp.html in German). I
>     thought it would be nice to present language endangerment as part of
>     the exhibition and together with the responsible people of the
>     museum, we are now thinking about one exhibit, probably a coffin
>     that shall be filled with words that may die out....
>      >> --
>      >> Prof Peter K. Austin
>      >> Marit Rausing Chair in Field Linguistics
>      >> Director, Endangered Languages Academic Programme
>      >> Research Tutor and PhD Convenor
>      >> Department of Linguistics, SOAS
>      >> Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
>      >> London WC1H 0XG
>      >> United Kingdom
>      >>