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K. David Harrison, “When Languages Die”, 2007.

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Here I present: K. David Harrison, “When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World’s Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge”, 2007.

INTRODUCTION.

The extinction of languages is the topic of this book. There have been over six-thousand (6,000) recorded languages. The “table of contents” of the book is shown BELOW.

        TABLE OF CONTENTS.

  1. A World of Many (Fewer) Voices.
  2. An Extinction of (Ideas about) Species CASE STUDY: Vanishing Herds and Reindeer Words.
  3. Many Moons Ago: Traditional Calendars and Time-Reckoning CASE STUDY: Nomads of Western Mongolia.
  4. An Atlas in the Mind CASE STUDY: Wheel of Fortune and a Blessing.
  5. Silent Storytellers, Lost Legends CASE STUDY: New Rice versus Old Knowledge.
  6. Endangered Number Systems: Counting to Twenty on Your Toes CASE STUDY: The Leaf-Cup People, India’s Modern ‘Primitives’.
  7. Worlds within Words.



Here I presented: K. David Harrison, “When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World’s Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge”, 2007.

 

COMMENTS.  

Chapter #6. “Endangered Number Systems” is significant for me.  The various number system possibilities, people use the digits (fingers & toes).

ATOP is the fingers as 1,2,3,4,5; and, counting to a dozen (1,2,3,  … 10, 11, 12) on one hand.

INDIA case study is very significant.   ABOVE are the fingers representing the element’:  water, earth, heaven, air, fire.

  • INDIA is a nation that belief associated with “fingers” preferential “eating utensils”.  Fingers are holy in dharmic faiths (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism).  Eating with your fingers is mathematical science in India’s tradition of knowledge. India has a diversity of languages; and, some language population are at risk.

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