Linguistic Anthropology has many different areas that attract attention, but the area that holds the most interesting aspect for me is the development and evolution of language. This field holds a unique grasp on how languages fluctuate throughout their lifespans. Language Death, when the last of a language's speakers dies is a monumental moment in language history. Studies have noted that a language dies every one to two weeks (Adachi, 170), but is that necessarily a horrible thing to happen? Throughout the world's history, there have been tens of thousands of languages and some of them are still spoken today. But does every language need to survive to help preserve culture? Or can we accept as a society that languages are going to die, and others will eventually arise in their place?
Another intriguing part of linguistics in relation to the evolution of language is how they can be traced back to a select few parent sources. Proto-Indo-European is a perfect example of this. Originally solely found in Europe, the language group grew to include areas in Asia and then eventually worldwide (Adachi, 164). This proves that all languages can be drawn to a common origin, which assists in linking them back together. By finding a related pathway we can discover much that was unknown about the development of languages and the influences they have taken from the source. By linking languages to one another we can more accurately pinpoint the major growth of linguistics in cultures, and thus gives us an insight into human history.
Soruces: Salzmann, Z., Stanlaw, J., & Adachi, N. (2015). Language, Culture, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
You pose a very valid question when you ask if we have to preserve every language to preserve the culture that comes along with it. I think you do for a couple of reasons. Every part of a culture matters whether its the food you eat or the place you live in. It describes you and represented what the culture is like. Also there maybe some things lost in translation due to not every word in the English language is represented in another language and vice versa.
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