Voices on the Brink: On Endangered Languages

Out of 7,000 languages in the world, about 40% of them are endangered, while a language disappears every two weeks on average, as per UNESCO's project Atlas of World's Languages in Danger. India is one of the countries with the highest number of endangered languages, with surveys estimating it close to 200. This isn’t unexpected, being home to more than 19,500 mother tongues, with over 200 languages being spoken in the eight north-eastern states alone. In Nagaland, each tribe has its own language, while the number of spoken dialects is said to be around 60. A language is considered “endangered” when it faces the risk of falling out of use due to consistent decline in the number of speakers. As per reports, thousands of languages have gone extinct in the past century, and thousands more are expected to follow suit in the current century due to various factors like globalisation, the spread of dominant languages, cultural assimilation, conflicts, etc. But when a language dies, it is not just the loss of a language but the erosion and death of cultural identity. Why? Because cultural heritage and traditional practices of a community can’t be fully understood through the lens of foreign languages. For instance, there are hundreds of terminologies in Naga dialects that cannot be translated precisely in English, and vice versa. The possibility of losing essence and nuances in translation is big. This is why governments and communities around the world are making efforts to preserve languages through documentation, inclusion in educational curricula, and various programmes. UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages is one such initiative.

Nagaland University has also announced that it is developing written grammar for all 18 recognised languages of the state, in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education, for inclusion in school textbooks from classes 5 to 12. Currently, only a few Naga languages—Tenyidie, Ao, Lotha, and Sümi—are taught beyond Class 8. Now, extending this opportunity to all major languages in the state would be a significant leap towards preserving it. Educationists, culture enthusiasts and intellectuals have long been expressing concern over the growing decrease in population who speak their mother tongues. Many are worried that the younger generations show more enthusiasm in learning Nagamese and English rather than their native dialects, a trend that could eventually lead to loss of language. So, the NU’s project, once completed, will serve yeoman service in reviving dying languages as well as help preserve cultural identities, history and the rich tradition of various communities. It will also align with the National Education Policy’s three-language policy, which requires students to learn at least three languages, including two native to India.