In the world's languages, speech is often organised into sequences of speech sounds called syllables. For instance, in English, "golf" has one syllable, while "defenestration" has five syllables. However, in British Columbia, Canada, there exists a language which appears (emphasis on the appears here) to do things a little differently. In fact, it has been … Continue reading The syllables in Nuxalk
critically endangered
Languages with case prefixes? (Australia Pt 2)
There are only three Australian languages identified by The World Atlas of Language Structures Online which are reported to have case-prefixes, which are Burarra, Gurr-goni, and Mara (or Marra). Previously in this series, we have looked at one particular language spoken in Australia which uses a relatively rare system of case prefixes, albeit a rather … Continue reading Languages with case prefixes? (Australia Pt 2)
An introduction to Ume Sámi
A while ago, I traveled to Umeå in Västerbotten County in Sweden. It was there when I came across signs like these, on which upcoming events in the city are posted. But it was not the events that caught my attention, but more rather, the languages which are featured on the signs themselves. While I … Continue reading An introduction to Ume Sámi
The language behind the name of an iconic Australian bird
Australia is home to some of the world's most iconic wildlife. While we have covered some of Australia's marsupials previously, this time, we will cover Australia's birds. While there is the cassowary, a large flightless bird, there is also the bird that is named Australia's national bird, the emu, and there is a whole group … Continue reading The language behind the name of an iconic Australian bird
How do we assess language vitality?
When we talk about the languages of the world, you will almost always come across the fact that most of the world's languages are spoken by a small fraction of the world's population, while a large proportion of the world's population are speakers of a small fraction of the world's languages. Across the world, you … Continue reading How do we assess language vitality?
The languages of Asia’s easternmost frontier (Pt 2)
Previously, we have looked at the language predominantly used in the settlement of Uelen, where most of its population being Chukchi. Today, we will look at the language used by its other indigenous people group, the Yupik. We commonly associate the Yupik with Alaska and Yukon, but there are a few hundred Yupik living in … Continue reading The languages of Asia’s easternmost frontier (Pt 2)
Languages of Australia — Muruwari
In Australia, lies a micronation no one recognises. Spanning the territory along the state border of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, this corresponded to the traditional homeland of the Murrawarri people. It declared its independence in 30 March 2013 from Australia, and even brought their sovereignty campaign to the United Nations to request for … Continue reading Languages of Australia — Muruwari
Languages of Taiwan — Kavalan (Kvalan, Kebalan, Kbalan)
This language was formerly spoken in the northeastern regions of Taiwan, but today, the language is no longer used there. Currently spoken in Eastern Taiwan, in Hualien, Yilan, and Taitung counties, it has experienced a continual state of decline in use. With many Kavalan speaking other languages like Amis, Mandarin, Japanese, and Taiwanese Hokkien, it … Continue reading Languages of Taiwan — Kavalan (Kvalan, Kebalan, Kbalan)
The Language Closet 