Final answer:
Migration, segregation, and isolation can lead to language extinction as they cause decreased usage and transmission. Language revitalization efforts can revive dormant languages. Cultural barriers and topography can contribute to linguistic isolation, preserving diversity. The correct option is c.
Step-by-step explanation:
Migration, segregation, and isolation may lead to language extinction. These processes can cause a language to become endangered or dormant as communities become physically or culturally separated, leading to decreased usage and intergenerational transmission of the language. Historical examples include the forced assimilation of Native Americans in North America and the colonial impacts on indigenous populations in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. As a result, languages can become dead or dormant when they are no longer spoken by any living person. However, through language revitalization efforts, dormant languages can be reinvigorated.
Cultural barriers and topography can create linguistic isolation, such as in the case of the Basque language, which has remained unique due to geographic isolation and cultural resistance to adopting foreign practices. Linguistic isolation can also be seen in places where language diffusion is hindered by challenging environments, for example in high mountain regions or islands, as these act as refuge areas preserving linguistic diversity. The spread of dominant languages like English, through technology and cultural influence, can also contribute to the decline of less widely spoken languages.