Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL that in 1800 Alexander von Humboldt found a pet parrot in Amazonia that was the last "speaker" of an extinct language. He documented what it said, and his notes are the only trace of this language (www.mentalfloss.com)

submitted 2 years ago by garfaagel@sh.itjust.works to c/til@lemmy.ca

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[–] Nepenthe@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

If the only remaining speaker is a bird and no one can understand the bird, I don't think this counts as saving a language from destruction. I don't see even a whole 2% chance we'll ever regain that knowledge. It's just noises now.