This document discusses the myth that some languages are not good enough. It notes that while a small number of languages are widely spoken, over 6000 languages exist overall. It argues that the idea that some languages were superior was a European view that has been disproven, as all languages can express abstract ideas. The reasons sometimes given for why some languages are not good enough, such as lacking certain features, vocabulary or being deemed ugly, are rejected as unsupported and based on social judgments rather than linguistic capabilities.

1. Myth 2
Some Languages are Just Not Good
Enough

2. Languages of the world
• Between 6000-7000 languages.
• 95% of the world’s people speak fewer than 100
of the approximate 6,000 different languages.
• Not all languages have script.
• Classical Languages (limited function) :
– Latin
– Sanskrit
– Classical Greek
• Several languages of the world have less than
10,000 speakers.

3. Widely Used Languages
• In terms of number of speakers
– English (international language of science and
technology, travel, communication, business)
(365,000,000)
– French (72,000,000)
– Spanish (387,000,000)
– Chinese (Mandarin) (935,000,000)
– Hindi (295,000,000)
– Bengali (189,000,000)
– Arabic (280,000,000)

4. Lesser know languages of the world
• Chamicuro (Chamekolo, Chamicolo, Chamicura) spoken
in Peru. (8 people speak this language – 2008 data)
• Dumi, language of Nepal (8 people speak this language
– 2007 data)
• Ongota/Birale (Ethiopia)
• Liki (Moar) (Islands of Indonesia)
• Tanema (Tanima, Tetawo) (Solomon Islands)
• Njerep (Nigeria)
• Chmehuevi (Midwest/Western coast of US)
• Maori (New Zealand)

5. Written Script
• Some languages do not have scripts
• Some languages have alphabetic writing
system
• Some have logographic/pictorial writing
system.
• Some have ‘phonetic’ writing system.

6. Are Some Languages Superior To
Others?
• Until start of 20th century, European linguists were
convinced that Western languages were superior to others.
• Anthropologists have shown that people from
technologically simple societies are not less capable of
expressing a variety of abstract ideas
• Every language on Earth has the ability to express any
thought: even sign languages, even pidgins, even the
seemingly half-baked English creoles in West Africa, the
Caribbean, etc.
• No one language is more efficient at expressing abstract
ideas than others
• Languages were considered ‘culturally’ superior in history
(Latin, French, Sanskrit, Classical Greek, Classical Arabic)

7. Why are some languages not good
enough?
• Reason 1: Language features
– Can’t compound words easily
– Morphologically very complex
– Do not have vocabulary
– Do not have efficient grammatical structure to
express abstract ideas
• tense/aspectual morphemes, singular/plural
morphemes, gender morphemes, word order etc.
– No grammar

8. Why are some languages not good
enough?
• Reason 2 – Some languages are ugly, barbaric,
rude, sound harsh
– Languages are not ugly, or rude – it is a social
judgment of speakers of other people who think
they are better than others.
• Reason 3 – Some languages do not have
vocabulary and logical structure to discuss
‘abstract’ thoughts used in
Science/Art/Literature/music etc.