The Catalogue of Endangered Languages has found that over the last 40 years an average of 3.5 languages have become extinct each year, with 3054 languages (43% of all languages) currently on the endangered list.
Even native British languages such as Cornish, Welsh and Gaelic are at risk of becoming endangered, with government statistics showing a stark decrease in native-speakers over the few last centuries.
The reasons for this fall are complex – often including political, social and economic motives.
For instance, in 1847 a parliamentary report concluded the provision of education in Wales to be extremely poor, suggesting that the Welsh language was to blame and that the “moral and material condition of the people would only improve with the introduction of English”.
The government’s response was the infamous Welsh Not (Note), a method for forcing Welsh children to speak English at school. A stick or plaque was given to any child heard speaking Welsh during school, which was handed on to whoever next spoke the language. By the end of the lesson, whoever was left holding the Welsh Not was punished.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for every one of Britain’s native endangered languages.
Gaelic, banned by the crown more than 400 years ago, has made a comeback in recent years with 1.7% of the Scottish population now being able to speak, read, write and understand Gaelic, according to the 2011 census.
The decrease in Gaelic speakers seen in previous records has begun to slow, and interestingly, showed a 0.1% rise in speakers aged 3-19 for the first time.
This increase is due in part to a Scottish Government Bill which ultimately became the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 establishing an official body (Bord na Gàidhlig) with functions ‘exercisable with a view to securing the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language’.
The use of minority, indigenous British languages by businesses has also begun to increase.
A report conducted in 2014 regarding the Welsh language and economic development states “bilingualism and an appreciation of differing cultures are an important part of marketing strategies of successful businesses across the globe strengthening company brands and also making them more relevant to local customers”.
The report encourages companies to consider the positive impact that translation and localisation for minority languages can have on their business and the commercial advantages that come with this.
This includes benefits such as, increased customer reach, brand trust, competitor advantage and local relevance.
At Creative Word, we understand the value of cultural appreciation and the importance of professional commercial translation and localisation for minority languages.
For advice about your translation project or assistance with localisation, please contact us.
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