language suicide

Language suicide is a process of language obsolescence whereby the speakers of the less prestigious language of two closely related languages borrows so much lexis, pronunciation and syntax from the more prestigious language so that the less prestigious language become virtually indistinguishable from the prestigious one and can be considered to have become the same language. Language suicide is distinct from other forms of language death, such as linguicide. In the latter phenomenon, one language becomes extinct as a consequence of the direct subjugation or annihilation of its speakers or their culture. In the case of language suicide, however, a language is gradually rendered extinct by its own speakers. To illustrate, the extinction of Native American languages was a form of linguicide, coinciding with the annihilation of the Native American peoples; the decline of the Irish language, on the other hand, was a form of language suicide, resulting from the gradual domination of Ireland by the English hegemon. Other contested terms include language merger, convergence or natural language change.

Language Suicide

See also