"Lost" Language Found on Back of 400-Year-Old Letter [ Peru ]

National Geographic News ^ | Friday, August 27, 2010 | Brian Handwerk

[SunkenCiv]

Translations scribbled on the back of a Spanish author's letter. Photograph courtesy Jeffrey Quil

[Inyo-Mono]

Very, very interesting!

[SunkenCiv]

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[bigheadfred]

This is interesting. Too bad there aren’t more clues around to clear the picture of history in the Americas. If only the walls could talk. I think there would be some shocking revelations.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[Inyo-Mono]

bigheadfred and I may be the only ones here on FR interested in this subject. I have long been interested in language groups as they are often the true identifier of a peoples origin.

[bigheadfred]

I’m interested in a lot of things historical. Thought about learning some Spanish until it became mandatory. My main interest is in early Mesopotamian cultures.

[wendy1946]

The ranks of dead languages are about to swell. The world is a much smaller place than it was even fifty years ago. Languages which I see sticking around or being necessary in any sense include:

• English and German: Learning any other Germanic language is a waste of time.
• French and Spanish: Learning any other Romance language is a waste of time.
• Russian and possibly Ukranian: Any other Slavic language...
• Japanese and Chinese.
• Hindi: Any other Indic language is a waste of time with the caveat that Sanskrit will still be studied by scholars.
• Hebrew and Arabic: Any other Semitic language is a waste of time.

Languages which the world no longer needs would certainly include Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian, Korean, Dutch, all Indian state languages, all African languages, all Australian aboriginal languages, all Polynesian languages, and generally the bulk of the world's present languages. Making a child learn any of those languages is basically child abuse and could certainly in no wise be viewed as preparing him or her for life in the modern world.

[JerseyHighlander]

You are not alone. I’ve been reading books and assorted info on the ‘Jaguar-Snake-Staff God’ cultures in Peru/Chile/Altoplano/Bolivia, for years.

The Pescedora might have been the last indigenous culture in coastal (modern northern Chile/Peru) , because they simply didn’t go to war... they were too busy fishing.

[SunkenCiv]

U of Pennsylvania.

[SunkenCiv]

Where were the two of you when I started my “bison in Illinois earlier than thought” topic? ;’)

[Joe 6-pack]

I think Portugese will hold out longer than you expect with Brazil becoming increasingly influential, not only regionally, but globally.

If you think Korean is on the outs, you've obviously never been to Korea and have known few Koreans. Hangul is the only east-Asian language with a phonetic alphabet, and it's one of the primary sources of Korean pride. It will not be allowed to simply lapse into obscurity. It's also far easier for westerners to learn than Mandarin or Japanese.

[Inyo-Mono]

Where were the two of you when I started my “bison in Illinois earlier than thought” topic? ;’)

Oh no!!! I missed that one!.

[Claud]

Count me in as well...I do work in Native American linguistics. Finding a lost word-list like this is pure gold.

[justsaynomore]

I’m interested! I have my MA in Linguistics.

[mad_as_he$$]

Simple. It is ancient.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[colorado tanker]

A Rosetta letter?

[SunkenCiv]

Rosetta broke it off in a letter, she wrote that she was leaving and that her life would be better...

[x]

Whether or not it's worth while to learn a particular foreign language, and whether people should pass on their native language to their children are too very different questions.

If nothing else, having a national language that outsiders don't understand can come in handy sometimes. Having a national identity is also of value. For one thing, if newcomers have to learn Finnish to live in Finland, there will be fewer immigrants to that country, which native Finns might regard as a good thing.