field linguistics - LingoDigest

Learning from Zero: The “Monolingual Method” and the Art of Linguistic Fieldwork

7 min read

Imagine trying to learn a language with no textbook, no translator, and no shared vocabulary. The monolingual fieldwork method is a raw, challenging process where linguists build a language from absolute scratch, relying on pointing, gesturing, and an immense amount of patience. It’s a deep dive into the art of human connection and the fundamental building blocks of communication.

History Politics Sociolinguistics Multilingualism

One Nation, One Hundred Languages: The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union’s Grand Linguistic Experiment

6 min read

The Soviet Union’s language policy was a dramatic paradox, beginning with the revolutionary promotion of over 100 minority languages through the *korenizatsiya* (indigenization) program. This ambitious project, which created new alphabets and championed local cultures, was later brutally reversed under Stalin’s rule, giving way to aggressive Russification. This story reveals how language was used as a tool for both unprecedented cultural engineering and absolute political control.

Endangered Languages Sociolinguistics Culture Native American Languages

The World’s Smallest Languages: When a Language Has Fewer Than 10 Speakers

6 min read

What happens when a language’s entire world can fit into a single room? We explore the most extreme cases of language endangerment, from the Tolowa Dee-ni’ in the US to Ngan’gikurunggurr in Australia, where fewer than 10 speakers remain. This is a story about the immense pressure on the last speakers, the heroic efforts to save their languages, and the cultural cost of silence.

Philosophy Endangered Languages Sociolinguistics Culture

The First-Contact Linguist: The Ethical Tightrope of Studying a Previously Uncontacted People’s Language

6 min read

What are the ethical responsibilities of a linguist who is the first outsider to document a language from a previously uncontacted people? This article explores the high-stakes world of first-contact linguistics, from the “Prime Directive” debate over non-interference to the modern protocols that prioritize community empowerment over data extraction. We’ll delve into the moral dilemmas of recording a language while potentially altering the culture that speaks it forever.