簡介
根據估計，每兩星期就有一種人類的語言滅亡，變成絕跡語言。
但在一些特殊情況中，某些帝國需藉助之前已滅亡帝國的威名來保持自己的勢力，跟這個已滅亡帝國有關的語言就得以持續被使用在科學、律法、或宗教等各種方面，即使它已經是個絕跡語言，這樣的絕跡語言就仍然會被保存下來，並繼續以非母語的方式使用，例如拉丁語與古希臘語被用來造科學方面的新詞，而其他如古教會斯拉夫語、阿維斯陀語、科普特語、及吉士語則仍然用於宗教儀式上。
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