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Cited by 267Linguistic and Sociocultural StudiesMultilingual Education and PolicyLinguistics and Language Studies

Global predictors of language endangerment and the future of linguistic diversity

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Bromham, Lindell, Dinnage, Russell, Skirgård, Hedvig, Ritchie, Andrew, Cardillo, Marcel, Meakins, Felicity, Greenhill, Simon, Hua, Xia·2021·Nature Ecology & Evolution
DOI 10.1038/s41559-021-01604-yPMC PMC8825282
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Abstract

Language diversity is under threat. While each language is subject to specific social, demographic and political pressures, there may also be common threatening processes. We use an analysis of 6,511 spoken languages with 51 predictor variables spanning aspects of population, documentation, legal recognition, education policy, socioeconomic indicators and environmental features to show that, counter to common perception, contact with other languages per se is not a driver of language loss. However, greater road density, which may encourage population movement, is associated with increased endangerment. Higher average years of schooling is also associated with greater endangerment, evidence that formal education can contribute to loss of language diversity. Without intervention, language loss could triple within 40 years, with at least one language lost per month. To avoid the loss of over 1,500 languages by the end of the century, urgent investment is needed in language documentation, bilingual education programmes and other community-based programmes.

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  • These impacts would involve irreversible loss of biodiversity, socioeconomic and cultural values.

    “These impacts would also involve irreversible loss of biodiversity, socioeconomic and cultural values1,7–9.”

    From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Main section says biodiversity is under threat, and ‘Safeguarding language diversity’ warns that language loss could erase unique expressions of human cultural diversity. The paper does not say these impacts would irreversibly destroy biodiversity or socioeconomic values; it discusses socioeconomic change chiefly as a factor in language loss. The cited passages have no page numbers in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Consistent loss of Amazonian languages is causing an irreversible disruption of ecological knowledge systems, mostly driven by road construction.

    “However, consistent loss of Amazonian languages is causing an irreversible disruption of ecological knowledge systems, mostly driven by road construction7.”

    From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [7]

    In “Predicting future language loss” (page unavailable), the paper identifies the Amazon rainforest as a projected hotspot, not a documented site of consistent loss. “Predictors of language endangerment” associates road density with endangerment globally but does not establish that road construction is the main cause of Amazonian language loss. The cited passages do not establish irreversible disruption of ecological knowledge systems; “Safeguarding language diversity” instead describes the predictions as possible outcomes that intervention may change. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Indigenous peoples and local communities would be harmed by forest loss in terms of their livelihoods, lifeways and knowledge systems.

    “Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) would be harmed by forest loss in terms of their livelihoods, lifeways and knowledge systems that inspire societies globally1,7,9.”

    From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Results and discussion sections address Indigenous language endangerment, including associations with roads and some forms of land use. They do not say that forest loss harms Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ livelihoods, lifeways, or knowledge systems (searched for forest loss, deforestation, livelihoods, and knowledge). (LLM, conf=0.77)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Bromham, L., Dinnage, R., Skirgård, H., Ritchie, A., Cardillo, M., Meakins, F., Greenhill, S., & Hua, X.
Affiliations
  • Australian National University (AU)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
Corresponding author
Bromham, Lindell
ORCID
Venue
Nature Ecology & Evolution
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-12-16
Volume
6
Issue
2
Pages
163-173
ISSN
2397-334X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41559-021-01604-y
PMC
PMC8825282
OpenAlex
W4200117540
Cited by
267
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 48 · 2025: 117 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 2
FWCI
67.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2022-02-03)
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Ecology & Evolution (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Linguistic and Sociocultural Studies
  • Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Multilingual Education and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Linguistics and Language Studies
Keywords
endangered languages, language loss, linguistic diversity, language contact, road density, human mobility, years of schooling, formal education, language documentation, bilingual education, language policy, future of language
MeSH terms
Language, Linguistics

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