What factors can cause languages to disappear over time, and what can communities do to keep their languages alive? A new exhibit by Cornell University Library and the Department of Linguistics answers these questions by using examples of Cornell collections, teaching, and research on endangered languages. 

Languages at the Brink: Threatened Languages and How We Protect Them opens at the Kroch Library on October 22, with a reception 4:30-6:00 p.m. in Olin Library 107. The reception will feature a presentation by John Whitman, professor of linguistics at Cornell, who will share his experiences teaching the Introduction to Language Endangerment and Revitalization class. He will be joined by his students, who will talk about their research projects for the class that are included in the exhibit.

The exhibit focuses on five examples of endangered languages: the Ainu language of northern Japan; the Celtic language Welsh; Yiddish, a Germanic language with elements of Slavic and Hebrew; Garifuna, a Caribbean Arawakan language with West African influence; and Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ, the Indigenous language of the region where Cornell University is located.

Languages at the Brink provides brief histories of these languages and highlights current revitalization efforts at Cornell and elsewhere, while featuring materials from Cornell University Library’s collections.

“Our collections include items that are in over 460 languages, and we have many scholarly materials related to the study of endangered languages,” said Phil Robinson M.A. ’13, assistant director of software development and linguistics selector for Cornell University Library who co-curated the exhibit with Whitman. “We’re displaying images, books, and audio pertaining to communities who are striving to protect and revive their endangered languages in the face of colonialization and other challenges.”

The revitalization of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ is a special case in point, according to Whitman.

“Cornell is the only Ivy League university that is teaching the indigenous language of its region,” he said. Whitman praised the library for its related collections and the integral pedagogical work of Stephen Henhawk, a first-language speaker of Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ who has been teaching the Cayuga Language and Culture class at Cornell since 2019. 

Robinson and Whitman emphasized that community engagement, above all else, is the key to language survival.

“The most important work that an institution like Cornell can do is to assist communities that really are committed to keeping their language alive when it’s endangered,” said Whitman, who prefers the term “language reclamation” over “language revitalization” to describe the endeavor.

“‘Reclamation’ clearly states that it is the people who have the language who are reclaiming it, who are getting it back, and that point is truly important,” Whitman said.

“Languages at the Brink: Threatened Languages and How We Protect Them” runs through May 2027. It is the final installment of a series of exhibits titled “From the Brink: Contributions to a Sustainable Future from across Cornell,” hosted by unit libraries of Cornell University Library in partnership with departments and groups on campus.

Jose Beduya is a writer and editor for Cornell University Library.