Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
Actually this is common with Native American languages. There are a large number of languages which have very few surviving speakers or a single surviving speaker.

Oftentimes this person dies with the language never having been recorded in any form, and is lost forever.

In the lucky few cases someone has been prescient enough to record the last speaker. Any reconstruction must, therefore, be based on the "single contact" you mention. There ain't no more.
Well stated. A couple years ago I went to Alaska and was pleased to find a strong movement to preserve and restore Tlingit to its people. Diversity lost in any field is sad at best.