Google launches Endangered Language project

PanARMENIAN.Net - The search giant Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, has launched the Endangered Language project, a website devoted to preserving those ancient tongues that are now only spoken by a few thousand of people.

The site, launched early Thursday, June 21, features videos and an interactive map. The curious can click on any one of the dots that hang over each country (including a surprising number in the U.S.), each representing a whole language. The visitors can hear the heartbreaking, beautiful sound of Koro being sung, or read 18th century manuscripts written in a nearly-dead Native American tongue.

“Documenting the 3,000+ languages that are on the verge of extinction is an important step in preserving cultural diversity,” write project managers Clara Rivera Rodriguez and Jason Rissman.

The idea is to unite a lot of smaller preservation efforts under the Google.org banner. “By bridging independent efforts from around the world we hope to make an important advancement in confronting language endangerment,” said Rodriguez and Rissman. “We hope you’ll join us.”