It has been said that 95% of the world’s languages will become extinct within the next 100 years and that there is also very little documentation available for them. The Rosetta Project relies on the collaboration of language specialists and native speakers around the world in order to create a publicly accessible digital library containing all the languages used around the globe with the aim of developing a current and contemporary version of the historic Rosetta Stone.
The type of information to be included in this file can be quite varied. From the collection of the best literature of the world to recipes for the cure of chronic diseases that affect humanity and formulas to recreate the latest technology.
The goal is to create a permanent archive of 1,500 languages through an extensive process of research and surveys. Some of these languages have, at present, less than one thousand active speakers. Other languages are considered extinct or endangered as a result of the increasing centralization and globalization of governments as well as the predominance of English in most countries.
As globalization takes root as a threat to human cultural diversity, languages that belong to small, isolated societies are now at a great risk. In fact, some linguistic experts say up to 90% of the world’s cultural and linguistic diversity could be lost over the course of the next century.
Language is the representation of human culture but its most important function is as a means of communication, transmission and exchange of ideas between cultures and societies. If you lose a particular language, the transmission of its corresponding traditional culture is broken abruptly. It is clear that the loss of linguistic diversity is directly related to the loss of cultural diversity.
To prevent and put a stop to this trend, the creators of the Rosetta Project are seeking to promote the cultural diversity of all human beings and ensure that no language disappears entirely without leaving a trace.
(Versión en español: https://www.trustedtranslations.com/el-proyecto-rosetta-2012-07-03.html)
