The Index of Linguistic Diversity is the first-ever quantitative measure of trends in the world’s linguistic diversity. It tells us that, since 1970, global linguistic diversity has diminished by 20%. Indigenous linguistic diversity has decreased even more markedly in most regions of the world. The 16 largest world languages have increased their share of the world’s population from 45 to 55%. These trends should concern us all. Why?
Linguistic diversity is part and parcel of the diversity of life in nature and culture. Any loss in linguistic diversity is a loss in the vitality and resilience of the whole web of life. Every time a language disappears, along with the cultural traditions and cultural knowledge it conveys, it’s a piece of the planet’s living fabric that gets torn off, leaving all of the living world more fragile, more vulnerable, and with fewer options for the future.