Vanishing Languages Rymer Summary

The article “Vanishing Languages,” published by Russ Rymer in 2012, presents an astonishing visual of fading cultures through the dying of tribal languages. Throughout Rymer’s article, it is emphasized that specific language and communication are essential to tribal culture – but languages are fading away. The article provides an in-depth look at three languages in particular: Tuvan, Aka, and Seri – dwindling languages with words that do not have equal counters in any other language (Rymer, 2012). Rymer begins the article with an illustration of a place called The Republic of Tuva located in Russia. The Tuvan language has specific words that mean specific ideals in the culture. For example, Rymer states that “khoj özeeri” means to slaughter

a sheep “peacefully” – a word nonexistent in English cultures (2012). According to Rymer, statistics show that there are over a couple hundred thousand Tuvan speakers, depending on the data, compared to the 328 million and growing English speakers. Although speakers of the Tuvan language are minimal, Rymer describes that there are other languages with living speakers declining at a much higher rate.
In the article “Vanishing Languages,” the language of Aka, spoken in a small tribe in India called Palizi, is a much smaller tribal language – due to the location’s “isolation” (2012).

Russ Rymer showcases the importance of this specific language to the culture of individuals speaking Aka. Rymer uses the Aka word “mucrow” as an example, as it means “old man” to some, but to individuals speaking Aka, “mucrow” is a uniquely loving term for any age (2012). The Aka language is closely tied with the culture of Palizi, India (Rymer, 2012). Similarly, a tribal language of Mexico called Seri is also considered to be important to the tribe culture, as Rymer calls the language “a seed of their identity” (2012). According to Rymer, over the course of time, the Seri have identified hundreds of species that modern “scientists have only begun” to identify (2012). These species all have been titled with unique names of the Seri language (Rymer, 2012). With the numbers of speakers of Tuvan, Aka, and Seri vastly diminishing, their unique cultures are diminishing as

well.
Russ Rymer, in the article “Vanishing Languages,” believes that globalization is a factor in languages dying off – as English and Mandarin Chinese, in particular, currently “dominate” within our modern connected world (2012). To conclude the article, Rymer states that tribal languages – including Tuvan, Aka, and Seri – must be sustained through memory the world would receive in a “dictionary” (2012). Although these languages, and many others, are dying off, Rymer suggests that the modern world’s globalization could be used to save the memory of these languages – as journalists can help acknowledge the presence of tribal cultures.
I chose to report on Russ Rymer’s “Vanishing Languages” because I am interested in the cultural aspect of World Geography – as well as the world’s increasing globalization. I also found the article interesting, as it did not focus on one particular region of the world, but rather focused on this issue as a global problem. Particular example areas included Russia, South Asia, and Latin America. The article focused on many topics in World Geography. In class, we have discussed the concept of a stateless nation, with examples such as the Kurdish nation in the North Africa and Southeast Asia region of the world. The Kurdish people have their own culture and language, similar to Rymer’s examples of Tuvan, Aka, and Seri languages. Although not directly stated within Rymer’s article, the individuals who speak Tuvan, Aka, and Seri are perfect examples of stateless nations. The boundaries of Tuvan, Aka, and Seri people are not concrete within a political country – and each tribe has its distinct culture. As discussed in class, language is an essential part of stateless nations, as language and communication bring cultures together as a tribal identity.
In addition to the “Vanishing Languages” article featuring the concept of a stateless nation, I agree with Russ Rymer’s belief that tribal languages are fading away faster in modern time due to globalization.

As discussed in World Geography class, the world has become more globalized in the modern world due to the expansion of the internet and transportation for easier travel to areas of the world. Through the internet and tourism, the spread of more populous languages grows. According to the Globalization and Diversity textbook, through globalization, smaller cultures have a hard time catching up with the rest of the world; thus, these cultures must adapt to the dominate culture. The Tuvan, Aka, and Seri cultures cannot compete with English, for example, as the numbers of English speakers are significantly higher. In a world of globalization, the need for a common language, or lingua franca, is important for numerous cultures to

communicate.
I believe there are positives and negatives to the connection of languages, and decrease in tribal languages. On a positive side, there are many barriers that separate languages create; therefore, the adaption of a common language may have benefits for the togetherness and acceptance of varying cultures. However, language differences – as explored by Russ Rymer – make each culture unique. Communication is a substantial aspect of culture, and culture is a crucial aspect of geography. Both cultural and physical geography are influenced by language, as language is the concrete way to express abstract thought, political ideology, locational design, and economic planning. Without language, whether verbal or nonverbal, culture cannot thrive. Sadly, the Tuvan, Aka, and Seri cultures, among many other tribes in the world, are dying out as native speakers pass away – taking both the language and culture to the grave.