Languages at the Brink: Threatened Languages and How We Protect Them

Human languages, like biological species, go through cycles of growth, decline, endangerment, and sometimes disappearance. This exhibit will explore the causes of threats to language, as well as the way that humans organize to protect certain endangered languages. It will showcase what Cornell and Cornell University Library are doing to preserve acutely endangered languages, with a focus on the Northern Iroquoian language Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ, the preservation of the endangered Ainu language in Japan, Garifuna–an Arawakan language with Western African influence, Yiddish, and Welsh.

This exhibit is a collaboration among Cornell University Library's Olin Library and Kroch Library Asia Collections and the Cornell Linguistics Department. It is part of a series of exhibits titled From the Brink: Contributions to a Sustainable Future from across Cornell, hosted by different libraries across Cornell University Library in close partnership with other departments and groups on campus.

From the Brink showcases collections, research support, and collaborative efforts across Cornell and illuminate ways of addressing issues of critical, global importance. The series of exhibits aims to stimulate conversations about the threat of environmental and cultural loss and its implications, while also offering insights about positive developments and constructive steps toward a healthier future for our planet and our communities.