Here's why:
* No native speakers: Old English was spoken in England from roughly the 5th to the 12th centuries. No one speaks it natively today.
* No active use: It is not used in everyday conversation, media, or any other contemporary settings.
* Limited use: While scholars study and use Old English, its use is primarily limited to academic settings and historical research.
However, it's important to note that:
* It influenced modern English: Old English is the ancestor of modern English, and many words, grammatical structures, and concepts in English trace their roots back to Old English.
* It's still studied: Many people, particularly those interested in linguistics or history, study Old English to gain a deeper understanding of the language and its evolution.
So, while Old English is no longer a living language, it remains an important and influential part of English language history.