Language death is a terrible loss, to all who come into contact with it: Facing the loss of language or culture involves the same stages of grief that one experiences in the process of death and dying. ' We do not have to be members of an endangered community to sense this grief, or respond to it. Anyone who has worked with these communities, even over a short period, knows that it is a genuine insight, well justifying the dramatic nature of the analogy. And it is this keen, shared sense of loss which fuels the motivation and commitment of linguists, community groups, and support organizations in many parts of the world.

p. 216 - How Language Works, 2007