Endangered languages get Google protection plan

Google has unveiled an online information exchange platform to try to give some extra lasting power to more than 3,000 endangered languages.

Called endangeredlanguages.com, it is out to help improve the exchange of digital source materials in languages spoken by small numbers of people, from Navajo in the United States, to Aragonese in Spain, to Koro in India and Burunge in Tanzania.

‘It is an open, on-line platform where anybody can get on and start sharing materials in those languages which are in danger of being lost,’ said Miguel Alba, Google’s Mexico marketing chief on Tuesday.

‘Today there are around 7,000 languages spoken around the world, but half of them are expected not to survive to the end of this century,’ said Alba.

It is hoped that the languages will get an extra dose of energy as users share texts, videos, photos and audio files.