External Factors:
* Domination by a more powerful language: This is perhaps the most common reason. When a dominant language, often associated with a powerful political or economic entity, spreads and is adopted by speakers of a minority language, the minority language may be marginalized and eventually disappear.
* Political suppression: Governments sometimes actively suppress the use of minority languages, for example, through education policies or restrictions on public use.
* Economic disadvantage: Speakers of minority languages may face economic disadvantages if they lack access to education or employment opportunities in the dominant language. This can lead to a shift towards the dominant language for practical reasons.
* Natural disasters: Disasters like floods or earthquakes can decimate communities, leading to the loss of language speakers and cultural traditions.
* Migration and assimilation: When speakers of a minority language migrate to a region where the dominant language is spoken, they may gradually shift to the dominant language for social and economic integration.
Internal Factors:
* Lack of intergenerational transmission: When parents do not pass their language on to their children, the language is in danger of dying out. This can be due to various reasons, including the parents' belief that the language is not useful or their desire for their children to be successful in the dominant language.
* Limited vocabulary and grammatical complexity: Languages with limited vocabulary and grammatical complexity may struggle to express complex ideas or adapt to changing social and technological environments.
* Lack of prestige or status: If a language is not seen as prestigious or valuable, speakers may be less likely to use it or pass it on to their children.
Other Factors:
* Language contact and convergence: When languages come into contact, they may influence each other. This can lead to language change and, in some cases, the disappearance of one language.
* Globalisation and the spread of English: The increasing influence of English as a global language is contributing to the decline of many languages around the world.
Consequences of Language Death:
* Loss of cultural heritage: Languages are closely linked to culture and identity. The loss of a language can lead to the loss of valuable cultural knowledge, traditions, and stories.
* Erosion of diversity: The loss of languages reduces the diversity of human thought and expression.
* Social and economic inequalities: The speakers of minority languages may face social and economic disadvantages if their language is not valued or supported.
It's important to remember that language death is a complex and nuanced phenomenon, and there is no single cause. The factors that contribute to language death vary depending on the specific language and the historical, social, and economic context.