Language spoken by only two people dying out

[Still Waters]

Ayapaneco, an indigenous language found in Mexico, is at risk of dying out as the only two speakers refuse to speak to each other.

Manuel Segovia, 75, and Isidro Velazquez, 69, are the only two people who can speak it fluently, but they will not talk to each other, despite living only 500 yards from each other in the village of Ayapa in the Mexican southern state of Tabasco.

Mr Segovia reportedly spoke the language with his brother until he died around 10 years ago, and he still converses with his son and wife, who understand him but are unable to speak more than a few words. Mr Velazquez is understood to not speak to anyone in the language. The men are also said to disagree over aspects of the language.

It is not known why the pair do not talk to each other, but a linguistic anthropologist from Indiana University who is involved in a project to make the first dictionary of the language, has said they do not have a lot in common.

Read more...

[Helen of Annoy]

I’m sorry, I know it’s inappropriate and I’m a bad person, but the title is just so... lolable.

Couldn’t linguists try a bit harder and find something those two do have in common? Football? Women? Or one of those is the reason why they don’t talk to each other?

[purpolonia]

I always wondered what type of Spanish do I speak...some say it is castano...don't know...all I know is that I learned it at home by Mother and some spanish songs I liked listening to that were romantic songs back in the 80's. My Mother comes from Monterrey, Nuevo Leoan MEXICO. We live in Chicago, Illinois U.S.A

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

Hmm, sounds like both men will be bringing their language to the grave with them. How sad.

[zenfahr]

I’m sorry, I know it’s inappropriate and I’m a bad person, but the title is just so... lolable.

Couldn’t linguists try a bit harder and find something those two do have in common? Football? Women? Or one of those is the reason why they don’t talk to each other?

Wow this is the first time I've seen you outside the corrupt a wish thread!!!

You really think these guys have women in common? lol

[27vet]

Put them on the Jerry Springer show or try Dr Phil.

[Helen of Annoy]

Wow this is the first time I've seen you outside the corrupt a wish thread!!!

You really think these guys have women in common? lol

Well, sometimes I crawl out, usually at night, and strangle random people who naively wonder through political threads. You’ve been warned

Had a woman in common, maybe... just a wild guess

Anyway, they have their resent for each other in common. No one said they have to talk about nice things, curses and insults are usually particularly interesting part of a language.

Lure them into a room together, push “record” button and enjoy.

[supervike]

I don't follow...Why does having these two men chat with each other do anything to help preserve the language?

Can't they do that seperately?

[+OverSword]

Sad but hilarious. And Helen, you are a bad person.

[Helen of Annoy]

Sad but hilarious. And Helen, you are a bad person.

NSS

[zenfahr]

Well, sometimes I crawl out, usually at night, and strangle random people who naively wonder through political threads. You’ve been warned

Had a woman in common, maybe... just a wild guess

Anyway, they have their resent for each other in common. No one said they have to talk about nice things, curses and insults are usually particularly interesting part of a language.

Lure them into a room together, push “record” button and enjoy.

Thats a great Idea Helen!! Hopefully they hate each other and are very creative with thier insults!

Just think of the possiblities!!

[The Unseen]

Then let it die,You dont speak it,I dont speak it,Not much of a great loss if noone speaks it.Let it go the way of the Aztecs,If no one speaks it except those two fellows then just let it go and turn to something worth while.It's not like they are going to teach it to anyone or have classes .Not one of the languages that anyone wants to learn anyway.I'm hispanic but I feel it's time for it to pass.

[The Unseen]

Put them on the Jerry Springer show or try Dr Phil.

Thing is no one would understand what was being said,A big waste of time and money trying to get these old farts together.Let them have it and let it die with them.It's and old language that no one uses cause it is out dated,has evolved to spanish and should be forgotten,why would anyone want to take a step back? to learn what? a new way to cuss each other out? Thats all that some people want is a old way to sling insults at each other,Why should that language be taught to any one who has no need for it? Jerry Springer? Dr Dill.The two worse idiots on TV.It will be made a joke on Jerry Springer and Dr Phil will try to analize it way too much,Both are about the most lowest scum on earth.They ,You and I dont deserve to even know how to say hello in that language,for it will be abused like everything else is.Let the language die and and lets try to speak our own language"Which we seem to speak and butcher anyway".

[Doctor_Strangelove]

Nothing in common? They are the only two people left who speak a dead language. If that's not something in common, then I don't know what is.

[27vet]

Jerry Springer? Dr Dill.The two worse idiots on TV.It will be made a joke on Jerry Springer and Dr Phil will try to analize it way too much,Both are about the most lowest scum on earth.

Well said!

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

Put them on the Jerry Springer show or try Dr Phil.

How would anyone know when to censor their curse words? LOL!

[Dakras]

This is the nature of language development. Languages die, simple as that.

[Eldorado]

It must have been something he said.....

[27vet]

How would anyone know when to censor their curse words? LOL!

Yeah, the first words people usually learn in another language are the cussing words

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

Yeah, the first words people usually learn in another language are the cussing words

I'm confident the first cuss is within the first ten words.

[UFO_Monster]

The extinction of a language? Fascinating.

[Thatsright]

Quick, kill them!

[XxCRYPTIDSXx]

wow... can u actually randomly say "quick, kill them" thatsright??? its horrible and pretty gross. amazing story though.

[danielost]

Then let it die,You dont speak it,I dont speak it,Not much of a great loss if noone speaks it.Let it go the way of the Aztecs,If no one speaks it except those two fellows then just let it go and turn to something worth while.It's not like they are going to teach it to anyone or have classes .Not one of the languages that anyone wants to learn anyway.I'm hispanic but I feel it's time for it to pass.

dont worry even if these two spoke to each other the language is already dead. also did you even know about it before the op. more people speak latin than this, not counting the science community,.

Edited April 22, 2011 by danielost

[Indiogene]

I hope someone is able to preserve their language before its too late. But thanks to the internet and texting, some of the world's top endangered languages are actually being revived or restored. Technology can have the opposite effect on language, not primarily to endorse/promote a global language like English.

Some of the world's endangered languages are capable of translation by Bablefish and other language translation software. Babelfish is a link that speaks loud!

Translations from English to other languages of this sentence:

"I love to come into message forums in any language"

French: "J'aime hériter des forum de message dans n'importe quel lingue."

Spanish: "Amo entrar en foros del mensaje en cualquier lengua."

German: " Ich liebe, Mitteilungforen in jedem möglichem language zu erben."

Italian: " Amo entrare in tribune del messaggio in tutto la lingua."

Chinese:" 我爱进入在所有 的消息论坛."

Japanese: " 私はあらゆる のメッセージのフォーラムに入って来ることを愛する."

Korean:" 나는 어떤 든지에 있는 메시지 공개토론으로 오는 것을 사랑한다."

Russian: Я люблю прийти в форумы сообщения в любом языке."

Greek: " Αγαπώ να μπω σε τα φόρουμ μηνυμάτων σε οποιοδήποτε γλώσσα."