legacy materials

[William J Poser]

With regard to the need for analysis of legacy materials where there
are no longer any speakers, I am not aware of a shortage of linguists
interested in this sort of work. If there are communities that want
linguists to help with this, I think they can get them. If there is a problem
here, it is probably one of communication rather than lack of linguists
willing to do this. There are quite a few linguists who are attracted
by the need to document endangered languages and by language
revitalization projects but who lack the skills or taste for fieldwork
or cannot do so for reasons of health or work or family circumstances.
Work on archival material is an attractive alternative for many such
linguists.

Bill