Languages as historical documents: the endangered archive in Laos

Author: Enfield, N.J.

Source: South East Asia Research, Volume 14, Number 3, November 2006 , pp. 471-488(18)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $28.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

This paper reviews current discussion of the issue of just what is lost when a language dies. Special reference is made to the current situation in Laos, a country renowned for its considerable cultural and linguistic diversity. It focuses on the historical, anthropological and ecological knowledge that a language can encode, and the social and cultural consequences of the loss of such traditional knowledge when a language is no longer passed on. Finally, the article points out the paucity of studies and obstacles to field research on minority languages in Laos, which seriously hamper their documentation.

Keywords: LANGUAGES; MINORITIES; LAOS

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/000000006778881555

Publication date: 2006-11-01

More about this publication?

South East Asia Research publishes articles based on original research or fieldwork on all aspects of South East Asia within the disciplines of archaeology, art history, economics, geography, history, language and literature, law, music, political science, social anthropology and religious studies. This peer-reviewed journal is published four times per year by IP Publishing in cooperation with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). SOAS is the leading centre in this field in Europe and one of the most prestigious centres of South East Asian Studies in the world.
Subscribe to this Title
ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites