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Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language
As globalisation continues languages are disappearing faster than ever, leaving our planet's linguistic diversity leaping towards extinction. The science of how languages are acquired is becoming more advanced and the internet is bringing us new ways of teaching the next generation, however it is increasingly challenging for minority languages to survive in the face of a handful of hegemonic 'super-tongues'.
In Speak Not, James Griffiths reports from the frontlines of the battle to preserve minority languages, from his native Wales, Hawaii and indigenous American nations, to southern China and Hong Kong. He explores the revival of the Welsh language as a blueprint for how to ensure new generations are not robbed of their linguistic heritage, outlines how loss of indigenous languages is the direct result of colonialism and globalisation and examines how technology is both hindering and aiding the fight to prevent linguistic extinction.
Introducing readers to compelling characters and examining how indigenous communities are fighting for their languages, Griffiths ultimately explores how languages hang on, what happens when they don't, and how indigenous tongues can be preserved and brought back from the brink.
In Speak Not, James Griffiths reports from the frontlines of the battle to preserve minority languages, from his native Wales, Hawaii and indigenous American nations, to southern China and Hong Kong. He explores the revival of the Welsh language as a blueprint for how to ensure new generations are not robbed of their linguistic heritage, outlines how loss of indigenous languages is the direct result of colonialism and globalisation and examines how technology is both hindering and aiding the fight to prevent linguistic extinction.
Introducing readers to compelling characters and examining how indigenous communities are fighting for their languages, Griffiths ultimately explores how languages hang on, what happens when they don't, and how indigenous tongues can be preserved and brought back from the brink.
264 pages, Hardcover
Published October 21, 2021
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August 5, 2021
James Griffiths, a Welshman living in Hong Kong, explores how minority languages face extinction in our modern world of “super-tongues” and the race towards globalisation. Taking his native Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese as examples, he discovers how some languages have had to fight for their survival and how they are being saved from oblivion.
The section on Welsh resonates strongly with me as a Welshman. An 1846 government report on education in Wales concluded that the Welsh language was a “vast drawback” to the progress of Wales as a country, noting the tradition in schools of the “Welsh Not”, a wooden stick that was hung around the neck of any child heard speaking Welsh. This led to decades of marginalisation of the language. Later nationalistic acts of protest (or terrorism, depending on your outlook) against the perceived attacks on the Welsh language, including the investiture of Prince Charles in 1969, are examined, many of which were part of my childhood and early life. Griffiths skilfully reconstructs these momentous events and makes me hope he will consider writing an expanded book on this subject.
It is a miracle that the Hawaiian language has survived decades of colonisation by the British and the French, culminating in the islands becoming part of the United States in a coup. This had an adverse effect on the language as islanders were forced to learn English fluently. A “renaissance” in recent years has led to the survival of the Hawaiian language, culminating in and being accelerated by protests against the building of the Thirty-Metre Telescope at the summit of Hawaii’s highest mountain, Mauna Kea. The turbulent history of Hawaii is eye-opening because it is so jarring when viewed against the public perception of the islands.
Griffiths admits that including Cantonese in a book about endangered languages is unusual, but this section goes deep into the turbulent history of the Chinese and Tibetan languages, concluding that even Cantonese is at risk given the rapid decline of languages across China and the possibility of losing Hong Kong as a cultural hub.
Interludes are slotted in between the there main sections, one of which explores the birth of the Afrikaans language and how it became the language of apartheid. It’s legacy is still being felt today and this section contains quite graphic depictions of the violence which still splits South Africa, so be prepared.
Griffiths also spotlights the creators of Modern Hebrew and the much-maligned “universal” language Esperanto; the former seeking a language of a new Jewish state, the latter hoping to create a tongue too break down barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Both men shared a disdain for Yiddish, widely considered to be the language of the ghetto by most Jews. The Holocaust resulted in the end of Yiddish as the main Jewish languages as so many of its speakers perished, but it has since seen revival and recognition in recent years.
The main theme of this excellent book is that indigenous languages don’t die out, they are “uprooted by malice or neglect” by the “powerful at the expense of the powerless”. This is usually done through violence, and the reclamation of that lost identity also often leads to violence, as the stories depicted in the book all too clearly confirm. As well as a history of these languages, it takes in politics, religion, identity and mythology. Meticulously researched, profound and often shocking, “Speak Not” is a triumphant celebration of just a handful of the many endangered languages of the world and a reminder of the fragility of national identity. You will also learn how to ask where the toilet is in Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese.
The section on Welsh resonates strongly with me as a Welshman. An 1846 government report on education in Wales concluded that the Welsh language was a “vast drawback” to the progress of Wales as a country, noting the tradition in schools of the “Welsh Not”, a wooden stick that was hung around the neck of any child heard speaking Welsh. This led to decades of marginalisation of the language. Later nationalistic acts of protest (or terrorism, depending on your outlook) against the perceived attacks on the Welsh language, including the investiture of Prince Charles in 1969, are examined, many of which were part of my childhood and early life. Griffiths skilfully reconstructs these momentous events and makes me hope he will consider writing an expanded book on this subject.
It is a miracle that the Hawaiian language has survived decades of colonisation by the British and the French, culminating in the islands becoming part of the United States in a coup. This had an adverse effect on the language as islanders were forced to learn English fluently. A “renaissance” in recent years has led to the survival of the Hawaiian language, culminating in and being accelerated by protests against the building of the Thirty-Metre Telescope at the summit of Hawaii’s highest mountain, Mauna Kea. The turbulent history of Hawaii is eye-opening because it is so jarring when viewed against the public perception of the islands.
Griffiths admits that including Cantonese in a book about endangered languages is unusual, but this section goes deep into the turbulent history of the Chinese and Tibetan languages, concluding that even Cantonese is at risk given the rapid decline of languages across China and the possibility of losing Hong Kong as a cultural hub.
Interludes are slotted in between the there main sections, one of which explores the birth of the Afrikaans language and how it became the language of apartheid. It’s legacy is still being felt today and this section contains quite graphic depictions of the violence which still splits South Africa, so be prepared.
Griffiths also spotlights the creators of Modern Hebrew and the much-maligned “universal” language Esperanto; the former seeking a language of a new Jewish state, the latter hoping to create a tongue too break down barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Both men shared a disdain for Yiddish, widely considered to be the language of the ghetto by most Jews. The Holocaust resulted in the end of Yiddish as the main Jewish languages as so many of its speakers perished, but it has since seen revival and recognition in recent years.
The main theme of this excellent book is that indigenous languages don’t die out, they are “uprooted by malice or neglect” by the “powerful at the expense of the powerless”. This is usually done through violence, and the reclamation of that lost identity also often leads to violence, as the stories depicted in the book all too clearly confirm. As well as a history of these languages, it takes in politics, religion, identity and mythology. Meticulously researched, profound and often shocking, “Speak Not” is a triumphant celebration of just a handful of the many endangered languages of the world and a reminder of the fragility of national identity. You will also learn how to ask where the toilet is in Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese.
February 9, 2024
3.5
這本書藉著語言來談論政治，三個語言為例，包括威爾斯語、夏威夷語、以及粵語。作者本人來自威爾斯，且在香港居住多年，雖然書的資訊量很足夠，但是讀起來很累人，而且充滿了對我來說有點枯燥的政治與歷史描述，因此有點扣分。
不過因為我在台灣長大、香港就學工作，關於粵語這一大部（以及廣義中文發展應用）的討論，我感受相當深刻。這本書再次強調了「語言與身分認同」的關聯性，在香港，粵語的消長可見一斑。台灣也是如此，我覺得能說台語也算是某種程度的身分認同，但我能把這個語言傳給我的下一代嗎？我不知道。
總之，對於語言與政治的發展有興趣的讀者可讀，否則可能稍嫌乏味了。
這本書藉著語言來談論政治，三個語言為例，包括威爾斯語、夏威夷語、以及粵語。作者本人來自威爾斯，且在香港居住多年，雖然書的資訊量很足夠，但是讀起來很累人，而且充滿了對我來說有點枯燥的政治與歷史描述，因此有點扣分。
不過因為我在台灣長大、香港就學工作，關於粵語這一大部（以及廣義中文發展應用）的討論，我感受相當深刻。這本書再次強調了「語言與身分認同」的關聯性，在香港，粵語的消長可見一斑。台灣也是如此，我覺得能說台語也算是某種程度的身分認同，但我能把這個語言傳給我的下一代嗎？我不知道。
總之，對於語言與政治的發展有興趣的讀者可讀，否則可能稍嫌乏味了。
September 14, 2021
I really liked the idea of this book: a look at how language is instrumental in shaping empires and politics, with special reference to the endangered languages of Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese as case studies. The reader is led through each part with stories of real people whose lives shed light on one of these languages, and how it intersects with power.
No small task indeed, and this book doesn't over-simplify the matter, or patronise the reader. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the times I got lost trying to work out which 'side' I supported. This was particularly the case in his excursus into South Africa, where the language of the historical oppressors (Afrikaans) is now at great risk of being lost. Advocates for endangered languages have to perform a fine balance between letting the language die and promoting oppressive powers (which now has alliances in white conservative America).
Knotty ethical questions often arose looking at English as well. Very often from a economic or even well-being perspective, English was the sensible choice for children to learn and be taught, because of the many opportunities the language opened up. Many parents and caregivers chose to sacrifice their indiginous language (and sometimes culture as well) for the sake of these opportunities, and one can see why. Griffiths certainly casts no blame here, but rather advocates for governments to do more in the future to avoid putting parents in this invidious position in the future. Griffiths ends with some relatively general (but certainly sound) policy suggestions to promote endangered languages.
I was impressed by Griffith's really solid knowledge of the material, particularly of his native Welsh and of Cantonese through his journalistic work in Hong Kong. His passion he brought to the languages and the book's issues was palpable.
I think my main complaint would be that it was just a bit boring. I'm not sure exactly why this was, because he did his best to keep a narrative aspect to the languages. Certainly I think the book would have benefited from some lighter moments and some humour, to offset the often bleak subject matter. Because I was slightly bored through much of this, it seemed longer than it was.
I also think Griffiths should have made clearer from the outset the book's purpose, conclusions, and ultimate take aways. I think having this as a handrail from the outset might have helped me see the light through some of the tougher bits of the book.
I'm glad this book is hitting the shelves soon. It's a good book with an important message, and one that New Zealand would certainly benefit from.
I received this as a free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
No small task indeed, and this book doesn't over-simplify the matter, or patronise the reader. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the times I got lost trying to work out which 'side' I supported. This was particularly the case in his excursus into South Africa, where the language of the historical oppressors (Afrikaans) is now at great risk of being lost. Advocates for endangered languages have to perform a fine balance between letting the language die and promoting oppressive powers (which now has alliances in white conservative America).
Knotty ethical questions often arose looking at English as well. Very often from a economic or even well-being perspective, English was the sensible choice for children to learn and be taught, because of the many opportunities the language opened up. Many parents and caregivers chose to sacrifice their indiginous language (and sometimes culture as well) for the sake of these opportunities, and one can see why. Griffiths certainly casts no blame here, but rather advocates for governments to do more in the future to avoid putting parents in this invidious position in the future. Griffiths ends with some relatively general (but certainly sound) policy suggestions to promote endangered languages.
I was impressed by Griffith's really solid knowledge of the material, particularly of his native Welsh and of Cantonese through his journalistic work in Hong Kong. His passion he brought to the languages and the book's issues was palpable.
I think my main complaint would be that it was just a bit boring. I'm not sure exactly why this was, because he did his best to keep a narrative aspect to the languages. Certainly I think the book would have benefited from some lighter moments and some humour, to offset the often bleak subject matter. Because I was slightly bored through much of this, it seemed longer than it was.
I also think Griffiths should have made clearer from the outset the book's purpose, conclusions, and ultimate take aways. I think having this as a handrail from the outset might have helped me see the light through some of the tougher bits of the book.
I'm glad this book is hitting the shelves soon. It's a good book with an important message, and one that New Zealand would certainly benefit from.
I received this as a free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
October 19, 2021
A deep dive into the history and cultural politics of Welsh, Hawaiian, and Cantonese, with smaller sections about Afrikaans, Hebrew/Yiddish/Esperanto, and Tibetan languages. The author is Welsh, so it clearly is an outgrowth from his own interest in and/or knowledge of the Welsh linguistic revival, but the other major sections get plenty of detail; it's not like he seems to have just wanted to write a book about Welsh and tacked on other sections as a fob to marketability. Overall quite interesting. Despite it only being an interlude between the major Welsh and Hawaiian sections, I particularly found the section on Afrikaans thought-provoking -- how does a country balance dismantling the apartheid-era power structures which gave preeminence to Afrikaans and give more equitable access to speakers of Zulu, Xhosa, etc., while resisting the not-entirely-unjustified impulses of many to expunge Afrikaans entirely (it's not the language's fault it was used in oppression, after all, and there are many nonwhite native speakers of Afrikaans and a rich history of linguistic evolution incorporating contributions from its neighboring African languages that is worth preserving), while also dealing with the fact that many defenders of Afrikaans are doing so for more-or-less-veiled racist reasons.
Worth a read.
Worth a read.
March 13, 2023
"Speak Not: Empire Identity & the Politics of Language" by James Griffiths is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of language, power, and identity. Griffiths explores the history and politics of language use in the context of empires, highlighting the ways in which language has been used as a tool of domination and resistance.
Speak Not explores Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese with interludes featuring Afrikaans, Esperanto and Hebrew,
One thing I really appreciated about the book is its clarity and accessibility. Griffiths writes in a way that's easy to understand, avoiding academic jargon, which can be a major hurdle when reading books like this. I also liked that his personal experience of being a Welshman gave him the additional insight to centre the other endangered languages.
Overall, I highly recommend "Speak Not" to anyone interested in the intersection of language, history, and identity. It's a fascinating read that provides a fresh perspective on some really important issues.
***Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
Speak Not explores Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese with interludes featuring Afrikaans, Esperanto and Hebrew,
One thing I really appreciated about the book is its clarity and accessibility. Griffiths writes in a way that's easy to understand, avoiding academic jargon, which can be a major hurdle when reading books like this. I also liked that his personal experience of being a Welshman gave him the additional insight to centre the other endangered languages.
Overall, I highly recommend "Speak Not" to anyone interested in the intersection of language, history, and identity. It's a fascinating read that provides a fresh perspective on some really important issues.
***Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
November 26, 2021
I found this book really enjoyable and well-written. The author, James Griffiths, is a Welsh and English speaker, who lives in Hong Kong. The book explores various languages and the politics and history of colonization behind them - starting with Welsh, a language the author knows well, its decline and its revival; then Hawai'ian, then Cantonese. There are shorter chapters in between on other languages - Afrikaans, Modern Hebrew, Esperanto, Yiddish. I found it really interesting and well-researched, and I particularly enjoyed reading the history of the language preservation and revival in Hawai'i - it is a miracle that there is still a language - and the creation of Modern Hebrew (despite the name I had no idea it was in fact this modern!). Very thought-provoking.
Free copy sent by Netgalley.
Free copy sent by Netgalley.
September 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Definitely worth reading and enjoyable overall, my main complaint is that the 3 main sections/2 interludes feel very disjointed, like extended anecdotes about minority/minoritised language from which one can draw their own conclusions, but not comparing and contrasting them directly. This is done a bit at the end in the epilogue, but it would have been nice for the book to focus on „the politics of language“ in general (though of course doing this via case studies is a fine approach), than the politics of a few specific languages with some similarities. Alternately I would have loved to read an entire book covering any of the individual languages discussed here in even greater detail.
Definitely worth reading and enjoyable overall, my main complaint is that the 3 main sections/2 interludes feel very disjointed, like extended anecdotes about minority/minoritised language from which one can draw their own conclusions, but not comparing and contrasting them directly. This is done a bit at the end in the epilogue, but it would have been nice for the book to focus on „the politics of language“ in general (though of course doing this via case studies is a fine approach), than the politics of a few specific languages with some similarities. Alternately I would have loved to read an entire book covering any of the individual languages discussed here in even greater detail.
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December 7, 2021I really wanted to dive right down into this topic, and there are some good points about imperialism and identity and language, but those points are drowned in the nitty gritty of historical events recounted in what felt like unnecessary detail. All in all, I wanted more analysis of what these things mean, rather than a blow by blow of how restoring a language in one place and time was accomplished over a long struggle.
March 1, 2022
An excellent look at languages used as expendable pawns in a political - colonial - empire building game of chess. He writes with hope for the future with examples of languages which have "come back from the brink". I am not a linguist but Griffiths has written a gripping account with plenty of relevant and fascinating historical detail right up to the time of publication last year. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
September 20, 2021
I expected so much from this book and sadly it fell flat. It seems like this is just a random jumble of thoughts instead of the well thought out piece I was expecting. Reads like a very early first draft of a book as opposed to the polished finalised version.
August 18, 2025
A very comprehensive view of how languages (and language accessibility) intersects with politics that I greatly appreciate. The diverse selection of regions/languages provides a wide range of information and interesting historical through-lines. I may have desired a bit more discussion of certain topics mentioned throughout however it is clear immense research and care was put into this project.
September 18, 2021
Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language by James Griffiths presents a history of linguistic domination/subordination and uses three case studies as examples to illustrate both how it leads to languages dying and how we can keep languages, and the cultural histories they represent, alive.
It is clear from the beginning the point of this book, examining and critiquing how majority populations use the destruction of minority languages to help consolidate power and establish not just majority but dominance. I have long held the opinion that a language rarely "naturally" dies. It may evolve, it may split and evolve separately, but the only way a language "naturally" dies out is for the speaking population to die out, or be exterminated. So part of what this book contributes to is the movement for a more inclusive and equitable society.
The main case studies as well as the many short historical examples illustrate what has happened and what can be don about it. There will be some entitled people who will take offense at some of the information here and scream "fake news," or more subtly to hide their racism "opinions as facts." By any other name...
While globalization has led to a need for a few widely known languages, that does not mean that other languages have to disappear. There is no single one-size-fits-all language. The reason so many languages have words and phrases that have no direct translation is because many of those untranslatable phrases are culture-specific, they speak to an aspect of that culture that might not be present in another culture. So killing a language is killing a culture. Many nationalists around the world are fine with killing off cultures, in fact, they are fine with genocide, but the rest of us can and must stand up and fight. Language is just one of the fights, but a far more important one than many realize.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
It is clear from the beginning the point of this book, examining and critiquing how majority populations use the destruction of minority languages to help consolidate power and establish not just majority but dominance. I have long held the opinion that a language rarely "naturally" dies. It may evolve, it may split and evolve separately, but the only way a language "naturally" dies out is for the speaking population to die out, or be exterminated. So part of what this book contributes to is the movement for a more inclusive and equitable society.
The main case studies as well as the many short historical examples illustrate what has happened and what can be don about it. There will be some entitled people who will take offense at some of the information here and scream "fake news," or more subtly to hide their racism "opinions as facts." By any other name...
While globalization has led to a need for a few widely known languages, that does not mean that other languages have to disappear. There is no single one-size-fits-all language. The reason so many languages have words and phrases that have no direct translation is because many of those untranslatable phrases are culture-specific, they speak to an aspect of that culture that might not be present in another culture. So killing a language is killing a culture. Many nationalists around the world are fine with killing off cultures, in fact, they are fine with genocide, but the rest of us can and must stand up and fight. Language is just one of the fights, but a far more important one than many realize.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
August 9, 2021
Speak Not by James Griffiths was an interesting and informative read. The first section, about Welsh, was more familiar to me, since, having grown up in the UK, I heard some of the debates and was aware of some of the key events from the mid-1990s onwards. However, the sections on Hawaiian and Cantonese were new to me and I found it fascinating to read about those languages and their struggles, having been unaware either were under threat. Griffiths' prose is written in a compelling, story-telling style that never feels dry, and this book will, I believe, appeal to both readers interested in languages and those interested in international politics. Hopefully more endangered languages can be saved the way Welsh was.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2021
An interesting look at how minority languages are disappearing around the world. Overall a good concept and research study, but at times felt more like a draft of his research. Might just be me, but would have liked a bit more organization. Still though, would recommend as it does make the reader think about the issues and others. The loss of any language is a tragedy.
December 23, 2022
Language allows you to express yourself orally and in written form. You could leave it at that, but oh, language is so much more. Language is culture. It is identity. It is power and therefore, it gets politicized.
Language can be used as a peace offering or as a weapon, and anything in between.
J’adore the French language yet I understand that it is a colonizer’s language that has suppressed and/or completely killed many other languages. You can hear French on a remote Polynesian island, in the middle of a Central African jungle or in Canadian cities. While this may seem reassuring because many different people can understand each other no matter their origin, it also means that local languages suffered.
In Speak Not, the author Griffiths focuses on three languages that have been or are being suppressed due to a myriad of factors, mostly political: Welsh in the UK, Hawaiian in the US and Cantonese in Hong Kong / Mainland China.
There are mini chapters, which I found almost more compelling and effectively succinct on the very complicated case of Afrikaans in South Africa, the ongoing tragic case of Tibetan in Tibet, and the tension between Hebrew and Yiddish in Israel and the Jewish diaspora.
Griffiths, a journalist, digs into the research and history, getting quotes from the dead and the living. While very journalistic and restrained in his writing style, the author does occasionally have off kilter, saccharine-y asides, such as:
“What must it be like to watch that culture and language, and indeed an entire society shift and slip away after a lifetime? And then to watch everyone you knew, the people who ties you to the past, themselves weaken and die, to fade away like a wilting flower, replaced by the new, stronger roots of an invasive species?”
He also tries to bring in some journalistic color to describe the physical characteristics of living and historical figures, but at times, this bordered on cheesy or even worse, cringey. This is how he described an Hawaiian princess: “Delicately features, with large eyes that dominated her slim, rounded face, framed by carefully arranged ringlets of dark hair falling to the nape of her neck, she had long been remarked on as a great beauty.” A white colonizer was described as: “Handsome, with full lips, high cheekbones, and eyebrows that looked like they had been shaped at a salon.” Couldn’t you just say they were, in their era, described as beautiful and handsome and leave it at that?
These took you out of the interesting and serious subject matter of the book and into a dime store novel. That said, overall, the book is solid and a must-read for language lovers who want to learn how history shaped language (and vice versa) and think every language deserves to be heard.
Language can be used as a peace offering or as a weapon, and anything in between.
J’adore the French language yet I understand that it is a colonizer’s language that has suppressed and/or completely killed many other languages. You can hear French on a remote Polynesian island, in the middle of a Central African jungle or in Canadian cities. While this may seem reassuring because many different people can understand each other no matter their origin, it also means that local languages suffered.
In Speak Not, the author Griffiths focuses on three languages that have been or are being suppressed due to a myriad of factors, mostly political: Welsh in the UK, Hawaiian in the US and Cantonese in Hong Kong / Mainland China.
There are mini chapters, which I found almost more compelling and effectively succinct on the very complicated case of Afrikaans in South Africa, the ongoing tragic case of Tibetan in Tibet, and the tension between Hebrew and Yiddish in Israel and the Jewish diaspora.
Griffiths, a journalist, digs into the research and history, getting quotes from the dead and the living. While very journalistic and restrained in his writing style, the author does occasionally have off kilter, saccharine-y asides, such as:
“What must it be like to watch that culture and language, and indeed an entire society shift and slip away after a lifetime? And then to watch everyone you knew, the people who ties you to the past, themselves weaken and die, to fade away like a wilting flower, replaced by the new, stronger roots of an invasive species?”
He also tries to bring in some journalistic color to describe the physical characteristics of living and historical figures, but at times, this bordered on cheesy or even worse, cringey. This is how he described an Hawaiian princess: “Delicately features, with large eyes that dominated her slim, rounded face, framed by carefully arranged ringlets of dark hair falling to the nape of her neck, she had long been remarked on as a great beauty.” A white colonizer was described as: “Handsome, with full lips, high cheekbones, and eyebrows that looked like they had been shaped at a salon.” Couldn’t you just say they were, in their era, described as beautiful and handsome and leave it at that?
These took you out of the interesting and serious subject matter of the book and into a dime store novel. That said, overall, the book is solid and a must-read for language lovers who want to learn how history shaped language (and vice versa) and think every language deserves to be heard.
April 3, 2022
Great subject, very interesting but nowhere as well written or edited as it could have been. I found the excessive detail of the efforts to restore Welsh and the political figures to be distracting from the larger story of language revitalization. This type of focus on the political/ideological process of revitalization detracts from the larger topic. This unnecessarily didactic narrative continues in the sections on Hawaiian and Cantonese.
The smaller sections on Afrikaans, Yiddish and Esperanto were good. A similar treatment of some other languages would have been enjoyable and informative.
As a participant in language revitalization of a local indigenous language in Alaska I am more interested in the process of successful revitalization and the value to the community. Also ways to support multiple language use within a dominant language environment.
Side note: I bought the hard copy and found the font to be quite small and tiring to read.
The smaller sections on Afrikaans, Yiddish and Esperanto were good. A similar treatment of some other languages would have been enjoyable and informative.
As a participant in language revitalization of a local indigenous language in Alaska I am more interested in the process of successful revitalization and the value to the community. Also ways to support multiple language use within a dominant language environment.
Side note: I bought the hard copy and found the font to be quite small and tiring to read.
December 31, 2024
When I read the author's note at the end that this came from an article written for CNN, I was not surprised. That's basically the tone throughout - like you're reading a really, really, really long article. In general, I learned a few new & interesting things but doing case studies on a few languages, I felt presented me a fractured story. It was like doing human interest pieces without putting a framework in place for the overall book. I'm glad that I was reading this one for a book club, because there is a lot to discuss, but I wasn't a huge fan of Griffith's style. There are large blocks of excerpts that he makes from speeches or books that seems really unnecessary. If you're writing a book to say the thing - you need to synthesize the information for me and weave it into your story...not just vomit verbatim text at me. If you're really into politics and like languages, this may be the book for you but it's a pretty narrow focus.
February 3, 2022
Imagine how many languages are currently spoken today. Now, imagine how many have been lost due to colonialism and integration into larger communities (I am not only referring to the Western world, but global colonialism as a whole). History and culture are directly linked to the language spoken of the period studied and learning more about the linguistic behavior provides greater context in the long run. The most amazing part of reading this book was learning the author had experience with all three of the main languages he spoke of and explored in each part. I was also pleased to see the acknowledgement of Duolingo and how that technology has contributed to an increase in foreign language speakers while also a tool of preservation for languages of decreasing popularity.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2022
Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book, and I'm sorry it took me SO long to finish!!
If you enjoyed the linguistic lectures in Babel by R.F. Kuang, you will LOVE this. The book is written in an incredibly accessible manner, and I never found myself struggling to understand or get absorbed in anything.
It did exactly what it set out to do - explained the way that languages can become lost, shared success stories from past revitalized languages, and imparted some fascinating linguistic history along the way.
I knew a decent amount about the decline of Cantonese, but very little about Hawaiian and Welsh, and I learned A TON!
If you enjoyed the linguistic lectures in Babel by R.F. Kuang, you will LOVE this. The book is written in an incredibly accessible manner, and I never found myself struggling to understand or get absorbed in anything.
It did exactly what it set out to do - explained the way that languages can become lost, shared success stories from past revitalized languages, and imparted some fascinating linguistic history along the way.
I knew a decent amount about the decline of Cantonese, but very little about Hawaiian and Welsh, and I learned A TON!
January 31, 2022
"This book has largely focused on the politics and history around minority languages and the movements to protect and revive them, rather than the specific scientific and linguistic models for doing so." From the author.
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March 13, 2023i only read the welsh section since that’s my capstone focus, but i’d love to read the other two sections eventually! i feel like i haven’t heard a lot about violent groups trying to protect the welsh language, so that was super interesting to read about!
March 18, 2022
Super good and very important subject matter.
May 24, 2022
I enjoyed reading about the seven or eight minoritized languages that the author profiles, and the efforts to revive them. The writing itself was kind of hit or miss for me.
June 13, 2022
Good book to read to appreciate demise and revival of languages.
March 12, 2024
非常好看，由三種語言來講他們的衰弱與復興的故事，即便我非語言學/政治社會學領域出身，仍然讀得津津有味。對於如何發展漢語通用語這部分的歷史看得很入迷，從來不知道這些發展，從中華民國建國初始便在努力「建構」全中國通用的語言/腔調/文字，當時知識分子（右派如胡適，左派如陳獨秀）還支持廢除難懂的漢字，改採用蘇聯設計的拉丁化新文字；但直到中共建政才真正以國家專制的能力將普通話推行至中國各地。
August 13, 2024
第四顆星給趙元任及國音字母第一式。
October 22, 2025
Good addition to the library of anyone interested in both linguistics and the worldwide crisis of endangered languages.
November 19, 2025
后半部分没有前半部分写的好
January 1, 2025
I’m really curious about how endangered languages are revitalised and this book really helps to show this. But it also shows how much history and politics influence the survival of a language. You can only cover so much for each language but it does give a broad starting point.
September 8, 2022
Fantastic overview of the history of language revitalisation programmes worldwide, in Wales, South Africa, Tibet and Hawai‘i. Also contains asides about the unexpected connections between the Hebrew and Yiddish revival movements and the Esperanto movement. It finishes rather soberly with musings about the state of Cantonese in Hong Kong. Even a language with millions of speakers can be threatened with extinction in mere generations.
I found it well-researched and informative. It's not written by a linguist, so it's accessible and focuses on the history and social conditions of language revitalisation movements, rather than the linguistics. The book also provides solid arguments in favour of keeping minority languages alive, outside of the obvious cultural and sentimental aspects. There are tangible economic and sociological benefits too!
I found it well-researched and informative. It's not written by a linguist, so it's accessible and focuses on the history and social conditions of language revitalisation movements, rather than the linguistics. The book also provides solid arguments in favour of keeping minority languages alive, outside of the obvious cultural and sentimental aspects. There are tangible economic and sociological benefits too!
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