750

poetry and the uses of politeness, irony, and metaphor.
Studies of the speech of different social groups (e.g.
women, men, young people, the elderly), of bilingualism
and monolingualism, of language acquisition, and all the
other proliferating subfields of contemporary linguistics
may also be conducted.

Whether or not such studies as these will be under-
taken for Aymara in the foreseeable future depends on many
interrelated factors, such as the priorities set by govern-
ments and scholarly institutions, the extent to which
linguists participate in the setting of such priorities,
and most important, the interest of Aymara speakers them-
selves in fostering the use of Aymara as a vehicle of
written literature and education. Only if such interest
continues to grow will Aymara linguistics attract the

support it needs to develop its potential.