Endangered languages belong to a class of people mostly identified as indigenous. These peoples often use a distinctive language not shared by another tribe or community, are defined as socially disadvantaged, nomadic or isolated from the rest of humanity, practice animism or ancestral worship, rely on nature for sustenance by participating in cultures primitives such as hunting, fishing and agriculture, have limited knowledge of modern technology, maintain very small numbers and are considered vulnerable (EIA Drilling). These rarefied languages date back thousands of years, to older human species that walked the earth. The United Nations has compiled a list of hundreds of endangered languages of which only 1-3 speakers survive today. Of the 7,000 to 8,000 languages that exist in the world, New York City, one of the world's largest metropolitan capitals, is home to approximately 800 languages spoken among them, with some native languages hardly even used in their country of origin but spoken there. Approximately 400 of the 800 languages spoken in New York City are considered endangered (Global Language Association). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn view of the alarming and dying trend of old languages, organizational bodies such as the Endangered Language Alliance of New York, the United Nations Educational and Cultural Science (UNESCO), the Global Language Association, and the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages are coming together to save some nearly extinct languages through public awareness, documentation, grammatical construction and education. Although this world is very multilingual, it dominates a phenomenon called steamroller languages (such as English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, French, Russian and German), which absorb minority cultures to forget traditional languages and push them into “modern civilization”. More than 50% of the world's population speaks these predominant languages. The New York Times interviewed Husni Husain, 69, as the only mamuju speaker in New York. The rest of his family is from Java, Indonesia and does not speak the language. Husni Husain migrated from Mamuju to Queens in recent years. He mentions his: “the wife is from Java, and the children were born in Jakarta - they don't associate with Mamuju, he doesn't read books in Mamuju. They don't publish any. He only speaks mamuju when he comes back or when he talks on the phone with his brother.” Husni believes that speaking Mamuju is a unique gift. He sees that this makes him an ambassador of his culture as it has been proven that he is the only Mamuju speaker in the United States. He never passed the language on to his daughter because he never thought she would fall into darkness. However, CUNY Professor Daniel Kaufman is working feverishly with Husain through the Mamuju project, to document the language, compile a book, and preserve it before it's too late. Dr. Kaufman works with many immigrants in the New York City area to collect data on expiring languages and strives to save them from disuse and death (Roberts). In fact, Husain is the only speaker in New York and perhaps in the United States of Mamuju. Mamuju is a language spoken by the inhabitants of West Sulawesi in Indonesia, mainly those from the Mamuju district. This district is a very diverse melting pot, given that other peoples such as Mandar, Bugis, Makassar, Toraja, Manado, Bali, Karampuang and Java also coexist with the Mamuju. Mamuju currently has around 60,000 speakers in that specific region. The district of Mamuju, since 1999, has joined the districts of Polewali, Mamasa and Majeneto form a single province. The inhabitants of Mamuju are heavily concentrated in that area and depend on fishing and agriculture for their livelihood. Mamuju district is located in an underdeveloped area with no electricity where researchers have noted outbreaks of malaria and other diseases attributed to poor housing, sanitation and environmental conditions (Ramani). Other factors affecting residents of Mamuju district are educational deficiencies, low income, unemployment and poor access to health services (Ridwan 2004). Mamuju comes from the large Austronesian family which has 270 million speakers and 1200 languages. Austronesian, translated "Southern Islander", includes the family of languages that originate primarily from the Polynesian island north of Australia. Extending from countries bordering the Indian and Pacific oceans, from Madagascar to the Easter Islands, the Austronesian languages have consolidated themselves as a major linguistic race (Bellwood). Ethnologists have traced the origins of Austronesian to Taiwan around 6,000 years ago, where the proto-Austronesian languages developed through nomadic migration. Related to Chinese, the predominant language in Austronesian is Malay, which is widely spoken in the Indonesian and Malay islands. It is a major international language spoken by tens of millions. Unlike other places in the world, Austonesian languages have been relatively isolated from factors such as politics and communication that stifle, dilute, and cause language death (Dalby 47). Countries such as Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia are part of the Austronesian family. The Indonesian kingdoms that arose from Srivijaya, prominent in the 7th BC, were powerful empires founded on its naval prowess. Ancient fingerprints of these people have been discovered throughout Malaysia, southern China and Indonesia. These people were skilled in sailing, which was central to their nomadic lifestyle as they transported themselves quickly from island to island and imported/exported valuable goods. Their rulers called themselves King Maharajas. From early times, Mamuju was a kingdom located in the vicinity of Mandar in West Sulawesi. The Mamuju peoples were characterized as valiant, noble and proud. Mamuju was a dynasty that was subjugated by external forces. The last surviving monarch of the Mandar/Mamuju name is Andi Maksun Dai of Mamuju. This nobleman of royal descent heads the Council of Rajas and Sultans of Sulawesi. From this information it can be deduced that the Mamuju language enjoys a certain prestige. Mamuju is not simply a political district, it is a principality ruled by people of royal lineage. In addition to their militancy, the Mamuju are also historically renowned for their marine experience as sailors. Shipping plays an important role for the Mamuju as their lands are adjacent to the Makassar Strait, a narrow body of water that separates them from Malaysia. Silk fabrics and weaving demonstrate the refined tastes of this ethnic group. Some finds found near Mamuju seem to testify, according to archaeologists, of excavations and gold mining. A golden Buddha statue dating from around the 5th century and small gold deposits near rivers also testify to sophisticated manufacturing skills and possible conflicts over the precious mineral (OConnor 219). However, with the decline of social position and the disadvantaged lifestyle led by most residents, a deterioration of the modern social status of the language is observed. Many of Mamuju's neighbors do not dare rise up against it (George 1996). Due to globalization, language nationalization and some policies, Mamuju is under threat. Mamuju speakers are.
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