Lecture: How Long Does It Take for a Language to Disappear?
Rapid and radical language shift in the village of Gio (Sulawesi, Indonesia)

The Austrian-Indonesian Society is pleased to share an invitation to a lecture by Prof. Nikolaus P. Himmelmann (University of Cologne), a leading linguist who has worked extensively on the languages of Sulawesi.

Languages are often thought to fade slowly over generations, but in the village of Gio in Sulawesi, the shift away from the local language has been remarkably fast and far-reaching. Prof. Himmelmann will explore how and why this happened and what it tells us about the pace of language loss in Indonesia and beyond.

📅 Friday, 23 October 2026, 16:00
📍 Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), Theatersaal, Sonnenfelsgasse 19, 1010 Vienna

⚠️ Registration required by 19 October 2026: regina.barth@oeaw.ac.at

Members, friends, and anyone interested in Indonesian languages and cultures are warmly welcome!