The problem of endangered languages is recognized as perhaps the highest priority in Linguistics - when an undescribed language becomes extinct, much invaluable scientific information is lost with it. The three components of this project - Xinkan (three languages of Guatemala), Pipil (El Salvador), and Mocho'-Tuzantec (Mayan languages of Chiapas, Mexico) - involve languages critically near extinction and in need of urgent attention. Some linguistic documentation was undertaken earlier on these languages, but never completed - the recordings need to be rescued from deterioration and the work needs to be completed. This project's objectives include: 1. To digitize all analog recordings of these languages to produce archive-ready digital recordings for preservation. 2. To database all written (unpublished) materials; the electronic database will be the foundation for producing the dictionaries and grammars, objectives of this project. 3. To record additional texts in various genres from the remaining few speakers of three languages, videotaping and transcribing them, and making them web-accessible. 4. To make these materials available to indigenous organizations and communities for their on-going language revitalization efforts, as well as to scholars of many sorts. 5. To complete and publish dictionaries of these languages. 6. To complete and publish grammars of the languages.
The results will increase understanding of the structure, which in turn contributes significantly to aspects of linguistic theory - to understanding the range of possible structures and traits of the world's language and how they can interact, and thus to human cognition -, that is, to a major goal of linguist theory generally. The results also contribute to the history of these languages, to Mesoamerican linguistics, and to understanding the prehistory of the area. The practical benefits from this research include the training of several graduate students and members of indigenous communities; involvement of undergraduates in hands-on research; production of dictionaries and grammars for six languages, which will form the basis for language revitalization programs in the indigenous communities and schools. These products will be basic reference works valuable to community members, to linguists, and to other scholars.
