The Beauty of a Language

We are often told that our planet is rapidly loosing languages. As the world becomes flatter and more global  and smaller communities seek to integrate into the larger warp and weft of this planet, an unfortunate consequence is the loss of smaller languages in the world. Of the 7000 odd languages that exist today it is said that by AD 2100, 90 % of them would be lost.

I think it is very sad.. It's not just the loss of the language per se but the loss in cultural and intellectual diversity that one feeds sadder about. It's the loss of a way of thinking, expressing thoughts, of a world view that defined a community. Visually it's akin to the 'loss of clothing styles' in the world. From the vibrant, colorful clothes, vibrant patterns that many of our ancestors wore, we move on to the greys and blacks and monotones that are the output of an industrial age where the speed of the mechanical looms killed the patterns and designs and standardized things.

A few random words from the languages that i know where i feel the word expresses a particular idea beautifully and something that i have not encountered in any other language.

Poo Malai (Tamil) - Rain that is gentle like falling flowers. Often used to call a gentle 'drizzle'
Budget Holder (Mandarin) - In English we often tend to say "Authorized by" for singing off on a budget, but i find this particular Chinese expression very interesting for the specificity it demands... not the person that authorizes but the person that holds the budget.
Réalisateur (French) - Director, of movies. I like the act of creation, realisation that is at the heard of the 'director's' job comes through in it's French avatar.

As i write these words, I realize none of these languages - Tamil, Mandarin and French - are in imminent danger of extinction, so i set about looking (ok, googling) for some in obscure languages that are on the verge of extinction - Jeru, Niju, Ainu, Thao, Yuchi, Oro Win, Kusunda, Ter Sami, Ghuugu Yimidhrr and Ket. (Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/27/endangered.languages) and and found more depressing stories about disappearing languages and the adverse impact. I fear the world is a poorer place for the loss of those languages.... 

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