Google collects treasures
by Adelaide Z | June 21, 2012Sometimes one wonders if there is anything Google cannot or will not do. The multi-million dollar giant has proven that its interests are not solely financial in its most recent endeavor: that of launching a website meant to become the most extensive catalogue of languages currently at risk of extinction. The Endangered Languages Project uses digital means (audio, video and written web content) to store information about languages in danger of disappearing. Google has reported that their archive already counts more than three thousand languages, estimated to be approximately half of those currently believed to risk extinction.
As a global project, it is a notable achievement with a significant result: providing resources for the study of human history and human culture through the spoken word. Its potential in relevance to Canadian culture specifically, is noteworthy, due to the multitude of aboriginal languages that are slowly fading away much to the woes of the remaining descendants.
We hope Google will give more information in the months to come.