ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Henri Wittmann

Henri Wittmann is a grown-up man who has spent a lot of time studying a very special thing called linguistics. Linguistics is all about understanding how people communicate with each other using language. Think of it like a secret code that we use to talk to each other, just like how you might have a secret code with your best friend to keep your conversations private.

Henri Wittmann is known for studying a special type of language called endangered languages. These are languages that people used to speak a lot, but fewer and fewer people now use them. Imagine if you and your friends had a secret code that you used to talk to each other, but then over time, fewer and fewer of your friends remembered it or used it to communicate with you. That's what's happening with these endangered languages, and Henri Wittmann wanted to learn as much as he could about them before they disappear forever.

He spent a lot of time talking to people who still spoke these endangered languages and listening carefully to how they used words and grammar. This helped him to understand how the language worked and how it was different from other languages. He also wrote many books and articles about these languages so that other people could learn about them too.

Henri Wittmann's work is important because it helps us to remember all the different ways that people can communicate with each other. It also gives us a better understanding of how languages change over time and why some languages disappear completely. By studying endangered languages, Henri Wittmann has made it possible for us to keep their unique cultures alive, even if the language itself is lost.