The consequences of “New World” colonization on linguistic diversity
Authors
-
Artem Fedorinchyk
independent researcher, Kyiv, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7444-0728
https://doi.org/10.59102/ammr/2026/iss1art01
Keywords:
language diversity, (re)vitalization, language policy, colonizationAbstract
The language diversity of our planet is quickly shrinking. This process is often referred to as “natural” but since the life of languages, strictly speaking, depends not on nature but on humans’ activity (or lack of it), it is important to understand what we can do in order to manage language diversity, at least to a certain degree. This article analyzes the state of affairs in the so-called “New World” where the impacts of colonizers were quite tangible and had long-lasting effects on many spheres of life, including languages. The results show that for the moment there is no region with an unconditionally effective language policy in terms of (re)vitalization of indigenous languages but since the situation is in constant flux it is worth further monitoring.
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