Dying languages

Languages used in Carnatic Music & Literature
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ragam-talam
Posts: 1896
Joined: 28 Sep 2006, 02:15

Dying languages

Post by ragam-talam »

Indian language is new to science
"Researchers have identified a language new to science in a remote region of India.
Known as Koro, it appears to be distinct from other languages in the family to which it belongs; but it is also under threat.
...
It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family, which includes around 150 languages spoken in India. But scientists were unable to find any others closely related to Koro within this group."

And a related article: Are dying languages worth saving?
"About 6,000 different languages are spoken around the world. But the Foundation for Endangered Languages estimates that between 500 and 1,000 of those are spoken by only a handful of people. And every year the world loses around 25 mother tongues. That equates to losing 250 languages over a decade - a sad prospect for some."

ksrimech
Posts: 1050
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:25

Re: Dying languages

Post by ksrimech »

ragam-talam wrote:And every year the world loses around 25 mother tongues.
Thanks to the language I'm typing in right now. Still a good article. I like the last sentence: "Get on living and talking".

IMHO, every Indian citizen has to taught English, Hindi and his/her mother tongue to the same extent compulsorily. People outside can decide as to what they want!

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Dying languages

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

In our village, in 1950's, we kids were taught Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Hindi.

VK RAMAN
Posts: 5009
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:29

Re: Dying languages

Post by VK RAMAN »

During 50s and early part of 60s, whoever did SSLC or Matriculation, they had to study English, Malayalam,and Hindi, Optional being Sanskrit in Trivandrum-Cochin State. Of course Kerala State was formed in 1956. I know in Palghat Hindi was not compulsory at that time.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Dying languages

Post by arasi »

PB,
Perfect! And you have left out (at least, bits of ) french! I am assuming you grew up too in Puduvai.

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Dying languages

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Though I am staying at Puducherry since 1997, I have picked up only 'merci beaucoup' and 'très bien'.

But I still remember quite a bit of Malayalam, picked up during my stay at Tiruvananthapuram in 1961-62. Similarly Kannada, thanks to my stay at Bangaluru during 1970's. However, living at Mumbai for nearly 15 years didn't help much in learning to speak Marathi -- Hindi being the common language there, and English the business language.

The study of Japanese in early 1970's still helps us to utter a few sentences in Japanese which make comfortable the Japanese Tourists visiting our art gallery.

ragam-talam
Posts: 1896
Joined: 28 Sep 2006, 02:15

Re: Dying languages

Post by ragam-talam »

Listen up, 196 Indian languages are dying
"India has earned the dubious distinction of having the largest number of languages in danger of extinction. For instance, only 31 people in south Andaman Island speak Jarawa, while just 138 people in Himachal speak Handuri. According to the UNESCO Atlas of World’s Languages in Danger, more than 2.5 crore Indians stand to lose their linguistic heritage unless immediate measures are undertaken at a social and policy level."

The tragedy of dying languages
"What hubris allows us, cocooned comfortably in our cyber-world, to think that we have nothing to learn from people who a generation ago were hunter-gatherers? What they know - which we've forgotten or never knew - may some day save us."

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