Why do languages die?

There are more than 7,000 languages. The number of people speaking English, Spanish and Mandarin continues to grow, but every forth night a langauge will disappear forever. The Economist's language expert Lane Greene explains why.

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Altogether, people around the world speak about 7,000 languages. Does that surprise you? There used to be many more! Today, about half the world’s spoken languages are endangered. Experts say that another language becomes extinct every week.

Where have you heard the words “extinct” and “endangered” before? You may have used them in school. Usually, these words describe plants and animals that are in danger of dying out. But linguists also use them to describe dying languages.Video creator: The Economist