The New South Wales State Library in Australia has launched a \"search and rescue\" mission to revive lost indigenous languages, using the letters and diaries of early British settlers. When the British first arrived on the shores of what became Sydney Harbour in 1788, an estimated 250 local languages were spoken in Australia, but many have been lost. With the support of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, the library will attempt to bring some back, acting chief executive Noelle Nelson said. \"Fragments of these languages can be found among the letters, diaries and journals of British naval officers, surveyors and missionaries held in the State Library\'s unrivalled collections,\" Nelson said. \"These first-hand accounts are often the only surviving records of many indigenous languages.\" The three-year \"Rediscovering Indigenous Languages\" project aims to identify as many word lists as possible in the library\'s collections, and make them available to the relevant indigenous communities. \"The project will introduce and reconnect people with indigenous culture,\" added Nelson. Australia\'s original inhabitants, the country\'s most impoverished minority, are believed to have numbered around one million at the time of white settlement, but are now just 470,000 in a nation of 22 million. A government survey in 2004 found that only 145 indigenous languages were still spoken in Australia and about 110 of these were severely or critically endangered.
GMT 11:14 2018 Monday ,22 January
Bahraini-Japanese cultural cooperation highlightedGMT 08:37 2018 Sunday ,21 January
N. Korean arts delegation to visit South on SundayGMT 05:46 2018 Saturday ,20 January
Experts give one in the eye to Bayeux Tapestry loan offerGMT 23:29 2018 Sunday ,14 January
Jiri Drahos, the singing scientist runningGMT 23:47 2018 Saturday ,13 January
The Partition Museum: Opening up about the painGMT 18:28 2018 Saturday ,13 January
Second Global Energy Forum kicks off in Abu DhabiGMT 10:05 2018 Friday ,12 January
US museum extends $10 million art theft rewardGMT 16:10 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Leaders congratulated by speaker on National Guard anniversaryMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor