I’m trying to come to grips with a middleground here. On one hand, I’m fascinated by obscure, obsolete, and defunct languages (Easter Island’s written content is amazing and completely opaque). On the other hand, “supply and demand” has a natural purpose extending to linguistics: if a language/dialect does not facilitate its host speakers enough, it will fade, displaced by more successful linguistics. I hate to say “good riddance”, but at the same time we as a species can’t function well in an instant-worldwide-communication manner (FR a prime example) with tens of thousands of languages competing without many/most falling away. Just something I don’t see much academic consideration of (short of that guy’s outright insults).
>> I’m trying to come to grips with a middleground here. On one hand, I’m fascinated by obscure, obsolete, and defunct languages.... On the other hand, “supply and demand” has a natural purpose extending to linguistics <<
Absolutely. I couldn’t agree with you more. I love languages. Hate to think about their disappearing.
But I also recognize the irresistable pull of “language standardization.” For example, when I travel to China, I’m amazed (and actually pleased!) to see exactly how your “supply and demand” dynamic is at work:
When African, South American, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Arab, Italian or any other country’s or region’s businessmen visit China, they normally must do business in English or Chinese. Interpreters for some other languages are available in many instances, of course, but they are the exception rather than the rule. And perhaps even more critically, a sales contract or a letter of credit for a Chinese export or import is almost always going to be in English, regardless of the trading partner involved.
The same sorta phenomenon affects visitors who go to museums in just about any country I’ve visited lately: The exhibits usually have explanatory signs just in the local language and in English. If you’re a tourist who only knows French, Spanish, Chinese or Arabic, you’ll be outa luck unless you arrange in advance for your own interpreter.
So just as “supply and demand” (as you so aptly put the matter) are inexorably stamping out minor languages and dialects, they also have made English THE supreme international language. Moreover, I dare predict that no amount of wailing and complaining by French and other non-Anglophone intellectuals will change the situation, even if (may God forbid!) the USA continues it’s current decline in international power/prestige.