Listening to (and Saving) the World’s Languages

A new project researches the remarkable trove of endangered tongues that have taken root in New York.

The Jews of Israel found that there was a critical mass in Hebrew. It was a dead language but came alive when enough people were using it. Daily life makes a living language.

The linguistic islands of New York are a wonder but they will fade. Daily life is in English of a sort. Even Spanish is a second language.

If it is not, our language must change.