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Almost Half Of All Languages Are Disappearing Worldwide

There are thousands of languages around the world — more than 6,000, by one count.

But, nearly half of those are disappearing. And many of those are indigenous languages.

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Rosalyn LaPier studies traditional ecological knowledge at the University of Montana. She argues the loss of these languages means more than just losing the language itself — we lose something important about our understanding of the natural world.

The Show spoke with her more about it recently via Skype.

Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.