garfaagel@sh.itjust.works to Today I Learned (TIL)@lemmy.caEnglish · 1 year agoTIL that in 1800 Alexander von Humboldt found a pet parrot in Amazonia that was the last "speaker" of an extinct language. He documented what it said, and his notes are the only trace of this languagewww.mentalfloss.comexternal-linkmessage-square4fedilinkarrow-up113arrow-down10
arrow-up113arrow-down1external-linkTIL that in 1800 Alexander von Humboldt found a pet parrot in Amazonia that was the last "speaker" of an extinct language. He documented what it said, and his notes are the only trace of this languagewww.mentalfloss.comgarfaagel@sh.itjust.works to Today I Learned (TIL)@lemmy.caEnglish · 1 year agomessage-square4fedilink
minus-squareNepenthe@kbin.sociallinkfedilinkarrow-up2·1 year agoIf the only remaining speaker is a bird and no one can understand the bird, I don’t think this counts as saving a language from destruction. I don’t see even a whole 2% chance we’ll ever regain that knowledge. It’s just noises now.
If the only remaining speaker is a bird and no one can understand the bird, I don’t think this counts as saving a language from destruction. I don’t see even a whole 2% chance we’ll ever regain that knowledge. It’s just noises now.