What Makes a Language 'Dead'?

A language becomes dead when no one uses it anymore, just like how a plant dies if you forget to water it. If people stop talking in their native language and start using another, the old one may slowly disappear over time. It's like a game: if no one plays it, it stops being fun.

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Examples

A grandma speaks French with her grandchild, but the child prefers speaking English at school and with friends.
Children in a village learn only Spanish because their parents use it to talk to customers at work.
An old language is passed on through songs sung at festivals, if no one sings them anymore, the language dies.

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Categories: Culture · language,culture,history