Modelling the dynamics of language death

Daniel M. Abrams () and Steven H. Strogatz
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Daniel M. Abrams: Cornell University
Steven H. Strogatz: Cornell University

Nature, 2003, vol. 424, issue 6951, 900-900

Abstract: Abstract Thousands of the world's languages are vanishing at an alarming rate, with 90% of them being expected to disappear with the current generation1. Here we develop a simple model of language competition that explains historical data on the decline of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Quechua (the most common surviving indigenous language in the Americas) and other endangered languages. A linguistic parameter that quantifies the threat of language extinction can be derived from the model and may be useful in the design and evaluation of language-preservation programmes.

Date: 2003
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DOI: 10.1038/424900a

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