Reviving Extinct Germanic Languages: The Case of Burgundian, Lombardic, and Vandalic

The revival of extinct languages, such as the Germanic languages of Burgundian, Lombardic, and Vandalic, has long been a subject of academic and enthusiast interest. This article delves into the feasibility of reviving these languages, drawing from historical linguistic research and case studies of successfully revived languages like Hebrew and Cornish.

Historical Context and Case Studies

One of the most remarkable success stories in language revival is the Hebrew language. The modern Hebrew revival, initiated by Zionism, has brought a dead language back to life, with many native speakers today. Similarly, the Cornish language, while currently having a small community of speakers, is undergoing a revival effort.

The Cornish Revival

The Cornish language, while showing signs of revival with a growing community of Neo-Cornish speakers, is a far cry from being a fully revived living language. The definition of a living language requires more than just a handful of native speakers. It necessitates a social and communicative function that Cornish, at present, does not fulfill. For instance, it is nearly impossible to maintain a social life exclusively in Cornish, while efforts to keep Celtic languages like Irish or Scottish Gaelic alive are less prevalent.

The Challenges with Burgundian, Lombardic, and Vandalic

The revival of extinct Germanic languages like Burgundian, Lombardic, and Vandalic presents significant challenges. Unlike Cornish or Hebrew, these languages lack substantial historical documentation, making their reconstruction purely speculative. For Burgundian and Vandalic, we have virtually no evidence to determine their exact position within the Germanic language family, leading to pure speculation in any attempt at reconstruction.

Burgundian and Vandalic

For Burgundian, we have no definitive information about its place within the East or West Germanic dialects. Its minimal documentation and lack of certainty make any attempt at reconstructing the language impossible. Similarly, Vandalic, while potentially close to Gothic, lacks robust evidence to provide a reliable reconstruction. Therefore, attempting to revive these languages is simply not feasible based on current historical data.

Lombardic

While Lombardic is better attested than Burgundian and Vandalic, the available documentation is still insufficient to support a full-scale reconstruction. The language's connection to other Germanic dialects, particularly Old High German, is tenuous. Any effort to revive Lombardic would be challenged by the limited evidence available.

The Case of Gothic

Among the extinct Germanic languages, Gothic is the most promising candidate for revival. We have extensive knowledge of Gothic, including its phonology, morphology, and syntax, as well as a substantial vocabulary from Wulfila's Bible. With this knowledge, we can reconstruct numerous words in Gothic, even if the existing vocabulary is not sufficient for a complete language. Other ancient Germanic languages like Old English, Old High German, and Old Norse provide valuable resources for linguistic derivation and composition.

Reconstructing Neo-Gothic

Based on the principles of evolution from Proto-Germanic to Gothic, it is entirely plausible to create a Neo-Gothic grammar and vocabulary. Using other ancient Germanic languages, we can adapt existing words to fit Gothic phonetics and even introduce new neologisms following derivational and compositional rules.

Motivation for Revival

Unlike Cornish and Hebrew, where the motivation for revival was driven by cultural nationalism or Zionism, there is no similar movement for Gothic revival. The lack of regional or cultural ties, the absence of a homeland, and the current lack of interest among linguists pose significant barriers to a Gothic revival. The linguistic community, while potentially interested, does not have the socio-political reasons to promote such an endeavor.

Conclusion

While the revival of extinct Germanic languages such as Burgundian, Lombardic, and Vandalic is theoretically possible, it is unlikely to become a practical or widespread reality. The evidence for these languages is too scarce, and the motivations for their revival are absent. For Gothic, while a revival is theoretically possible, the current lack of interest and motivation makes it an impractical pursuit.