Official Languages

At Foundation Operation X, we have a unique process for adopting official languages. Our team takes on language challenges, studying a language with the goal of achieving native-level fluency within a short period of time. Once a language challenge is successfully completed and the language is actually used within the organisation, it can be adopted as an official language. This adoption is a process of mutual acceptance between Operation X and the language community, often ceremonially completed with a ritual first meeting with the last speakers. We view ourselves as part of the language community, and take the responsibility of adopting a language very seriously. Our official adoption of a language is a binding commitment, and cannot be undone.

12 comments

  1. I love this project! Have you looked at how well we’ve done in my country at reinvigorating the Welsh language? But what about the Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic speakers? I guess they all got massacred, or they’d still be speaking their languages… In theory, they should be doing far better than us in Wales, but that’s just not the case!

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  3. I am passionate about saving and preserving minority languages, I have learned Nones (Val di Non, Italy), South Tirolean, Lakota and Siksika (Blackfoot) in my efforts.

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  4. I would like to see a map showing the Frisian language areas and their subdivisions. Thanks

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  5. What a wonderful project, I agree entirely with your aims; I’m currently studying Scots-Gaelic and Irish (though nowhere near fluent, nor do I have access to any fluent native speakers); it is important to preserve these minority languages and they can be quite beautiful too.

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  7. Love this! One of the most unique blogs I have seen so far. This blog also stands out for the effort involved in what you are pursuing. Learning rare languages is not an impulsive decision, but a dedicated goal requiring years of effort.

    This reminds me of a neighbor I had in Montana – a Crow woman who was passionate about preserving and teaching her people’s native language. Their language is a precious facet of their culture, and its endangerment means a potential loss of a piece of their identity.

    Endangered languages are about more than words – endangered languages are the fruit of unique cultures, and there is great tragedy when a language goes extinct. It means a culture and a way of life – a beautiful form of human expression – has vanished. Our world is less rich each time this happens.

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  8. This is so fascinating. It’s amazing how many languages are out there that aren’t common knowledge. I remember being in Southern France and thinking, “WTH? What is Oc?” I love to see that you’re preserving what would otherwise be lost. Thank you for teaching us!

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  9. It appears as if the people of Lisu Hill Tribe of Thailand are losing their mother tongue. Maybe they could use your support?

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  10. Hi when I found your site there was an article in a language that I can’t identify:
    Késsa sáirë dë mizz’ ës’têtë a l’ Amérëkë, ka pénz’ a Mmáulë ka sstê ddëstándë, më twórnë ‘n méndë u fáttë k’ a Mmáulë i krëstyênë fëstëjjéshënë a Féstë du Pwólpë è stáuk’ á ppénzë kë sarébbë nu òttëm’ àrgëméndë du kwêlë pòttsë sskrévë tu Mëláisë pë ddôkumëndéggyë méggyë na lëttëra’tëurë du Mëláisë.
    Can you tell me what language it is? I put it into Google Translate and drew a blank…
    I’m wondering why the letter E can take 2 dots, a cirumflex or an acute accent. Are these tone marks or … what are they? I

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    • The language is Molese/Molesian. You can find out more about it in the following recent article:

      My Fieldwork in Southern Italy

      The e with an umlaut (ë) stands for a schwa /ə/, the e with a circumflex (ê) stands for a close central unrounded vowel /ɨ/ and the e with an acute accent (é) for a close-mid front unrounded vowel /e/.

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