seen but not heard
Tens of thousands of languages were once spoken throughout the world, Yale linguist Claire Bowern and co-authors find in a new study. But that “golden age” — 1,000 to 3,000 years ago — was followed by a period of rapid linguistic decline that coincided with the rise of large states and sprawling empires. Still, said Bowern, “It’s not inevitable that endangered languages become extinct.” | 
