An enthralling tour of the world’s rarest and most endangered languages

Languages and cultures are becoming increasingly homogenous, with the resulting loss of a rich linguistic tapestry reflecting unique perspectives and ways of life. Rare Tongues tells the stories of the world’s rare and vanishing languages, revealing how each is a living testament to human resilience, adaptability, and the perennial quest for identity.

Taking readers on a captivating journey of discovery, Lorna Gibb explores the histories of languages under threat or already extinct as well as those in resurgence, shedding light on their origins, development, and distinctive voices. She travels the globe—from Australia and Finland to India, the Canary Islands, Namibia, Scotland, and Paraguay—showing how these languages are not mere words and syntax but keepers of diverse worldviews, sites of ethnic conflict, and a means for finding surprising commonalities. Readers learn the basics of how various language systems work—with vowels and consonants, whistles and clicks, tonal inflections, or hand signs—and how this kaleidoscope of self-expression carries vital information about our planet, indigenous cultures and tradition, and the history and evolution of humankind.

Rare Tongues is essential reading for anyone concerned about the preservation of endangered languages and an eloquent and disarmingly personal meditation on why the world’s linguistic heritage is so fundamental to our shared experience—and why its loss should worry us all.

"A thought-provoking tour of the diversity within the world’s languages—and a strong case for their preservation." * Kirkus Reviews *
"Rare Tongues is at heart a personal journey. Drawing on her experience in dictionary-making and her childhood in a working-class Glasgow suburb, Gibb illustrates the perils of ‘creeping linguistic homogeneity’ and argues for the necessity of a linguistically diverse world. We are apt to label some languages ‘useful’ because of their large speaker base; that narrow definition is firmly challenged here. Gibb navigates complex and sensitive terrain—technical and politically charged—with both scholarly rigor and warmth."---Henry Hitchings, Wall Street Journal
"A defiant manifesto for linguistic pluralism. . . . Gibb’s Rare Tongues is more than a book; it is a clarion call to recognize linguistic diversity as a cornerstone of human heritage. . . . This is essential reading for linguists, anthropologists, and activists alike. It earns its place in academic discourse by challenging disciplinary boundaries and advocating for a more inclusive, compassionate linguistics—one that hears, respects, and fights for every voice in humanity’s polyphonic chorus."---Shuzhen Jiang and Junwei Zhu, Language in Society

Lorna Gibb is associate professor of creative writing and linguistics at the University of Stirling. Her books include The Extraordinary Life of Rebecca West, Lady Hester: Queen of the East, and the novel A Ghost’s Story. Her writing has appeared in leading publications such as Granta and the Telegraph.