MARK ABLEY

Half the worlds languages are threatened with extinction over the next century, as English and the rest of the worlds top twenty languages drive all before them. What ways of looking at the world will die along with them, what cultural riches, what experiences, histories and memories? And how does it feel to be one of the last remaining speakers of a language that is on its way to extinction? What chance is there of saving any of these languages? Is it feasible in the long term or even worthwhile? Mark Ableys journeys among the speakers of languages at the brink takes him to aboriginal Australia (where he meets the last surviving fluent male speaker of Mati Ke, who cannot speak to the only other fluent speaker, as she is his sister and in their culture it is forbidden to speak to siblings once one has reached puberty) and to American Indian reservations, as well as to places where the languages are fighting back - Wales, the Faeroe islands, the Isle of Man - whilst also charting the triumphant return of Hebrew.

Mark Abley takes the reader on a world-wide trip like no other - from Singapore to Japan, Oxford to Los Angeles, through the web and even back in time. As much a travel book as a linguistic study, this book goes beyond grammar and vocabulary; more importantly, this book is about the people of the world.On his travels Abley encounters bloggers, translators, novelists, therapists, dictionary makers, hip-hop performers and web-savvy teenagers. He talks to a married couple who were passionately corresponding online before they met in meatspace. And he listens to teenagers, puzzling out the words they coin in chat rooms and virtual worlds. Lively, evocative, passionate and hilarious, this is a book for everyone who cherishes the words we use.

Mark Abley viaja alrededor del planeta rastreando lenguas en peligro de extinción: el manx, el mohawk, el boro, el yiddish...Y por el camino descubre deliciosas odiseas lingüísticas. El autor insiste