geo unspoken tongues
TRANSCRIPT
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A UN agency identifed 198 Indian languages in d
more than in any other country. Its not a rec
proud o, but controversy rages about just how th
the subcontinents linguistic diversity really is. Me
researchers are busily recording dying Indian tong
occasionally announcing n
By Debarshi D
32g01/11
Boa Seno ded end-Janay 2010
80. She was the last emanng
one of the ten Geat Andamane
A Silen
Story
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36g01/11
With less than 5,000remaining speakers,
Remo, an Austro-Asiaticlanguage spoken by
Orissas Bonda people, isclassied as endangered.
Most Bondas now speakeither Oriya or a pidginthat has evolved rom it.
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Ln clm
on, l
omw n
26 Jny 201
Rlc Dy,
o Andmn nd Nco
on. T nd w
Andmn ln
y old, d w
80-y-old Bo Sno,
A vvo o cclym
2004 nm, onln n vdo, nn
ndn o
w n. Bo ,
convy mc mo n
lmo on w
ncn wold, o ol
mmnn nd.
Fo Anv A,
lnc Nw Dl
N Unvy wo
o docmn v
Andmn ln,
dml. Bo Sno
ln o
T n nv
cv o mn
codd n mm
ln, A y. W
on o w mnn
wold n c.
And n l
known, l lcDarma, one o the 400estimated languages
in the ibeto-Burmanamily, is an endangered
language spoken nearthe trijunction o
India, Nepal and ibet.
Shuttered houses in theDarma Valley are a
startling metaphor or thesilence alling over an
entire way o lie.
Wllam rozao,the last speaeof Malayalam-PotgeseCeole.
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40g01/11
xncon n Ind cnly d
o Cocn Mlylm-Po
Col, w n wy o
only k, Wllm Rozo, on 20
A 2010. W m wn 15-
cny ln, on o mny Indo-
Po Col, ymold
dny o locl Colc
commny o ov o cn.
B occonlly, lo
ln nw dcov. El
y, nw ok lnGoy Andon nd K. Dvd
Hon d dnd ln, Koo,
wc w comlly nw o cnc.
T dcovy o ddn ln
n Ancl Pd md dln,
w lo oly dd. Accodn
o Gj Nmcow, n cdmc om
Rjv Gnd Unvy n In
wo dd commny, W
v lwy known dlc, vn
dnc, o Ak , nd wc
Koo cld. Andon,
dco o Lvn on In
o Endnd Ln d n
US, y w nv nd
dcovy y m; n dl
w wkd y md o
m co mo wdly. B ll
mnn National Geographic
m, o wc w , w
o cnclly nly
nd dny Koo nq
c om.
T lo o Ind
mny ln md dln
n 2009 wn UNESCO ld
Atlas of L anguages in Danger.
T l lcd 2,473 ln
woldwd n vyn d
o dn (vlnl, dnly
ndnd, vly ndnd,
cclly ndnd nd xnc),
nd clmd 229 lnd com xnc nc 1950.
W ol o 198, Ind
o ndnd
ln, ncldn v
xnc, 42 cclly ndnd,
x vly ndnd, 63
dnly ndnd nd 82
vlnl. Rcon o l n Ind
v nd om coml dml o
ccm. Wl ovnmn mly
d mny o ln
w oclly no vn cond
ln mly mo
on, l w md y om
ln oo ll. Fo nnc,
l y K, md vlnl,
coy o ln w cd
, clly o nd domno ln n Mly.
Mo ol nk o ndnd
ln o okn y j w
ndd; ln m dnd
o olvon. B o mo ln,
ln ql ndnd
wn no lon d on o
nx non, oc ldy wll
ndwy n mny Indn ln.
T comnd w o co lk
nm o k, ooon
comd o commny ol
olon, ow ln
volvd n lc commncon, nd
vlly o wn docmn o
dcon nd von.
T my dn o
dnon o ndnd, w cn
dny y lcn Ind o,
l ccdd n n n
n dnd
non dv. T on
vn w v nm o
ndnd mo on, ll
woyn nomnon. W nd
o dy, docmn nd dc
on on w oon, y Udy
Nyn Sn, cono o
l nd om dco o
Myo-d Cnl In o Indn
Ln (CIIL). A lo l, mny o mn
oc dvlomn nnoncd
con o comm on ndno
ln, nd n wok on w
on l ln.
B wy nd oc nd
mony on ocn c ln n
wold comn ncnly
omond? Wy no oc nd
on cn mnld commn
om o mjo ln o l
m o? Fw clly l
ln mo n j mn o
commncon. Ty mlmc
o wy ol cv wold
nd, y, of nq n no
ol wo k m nd
cl y n. In c o Bo
nd o G Andmn ln,
y old mo o l
ol wo cl d ck
ond o y. Fo xml,
G Andmn, mx o
n dfn G Andmn
ln, wod (raupuch)
o dc on wo lo
o ln. T ll
lo o ocy nd
m lc on mly
kn, y A. Alo,
ln only wod o
nm (on, wo nd mny),
wc dclly clln oy ll ln v
common ndmnl c.
A wll dcovn nw
woldvw, convon o
ndnd ln oc
dny o k.
Fo yclly oclly
mnld ol,
ln nl o
n o dny nd l-
c. I w wn o o
l ol om ln
dod, w v o
nv n cl
nd ln, y
cn CIIL dco
Rj Scdv. Cn
d ow wo o o l n Ind do no
k nv on.
A lnc don
o ndnd
ln n l ow
mo o ln
okn n mo
, mly ond
Hmly (clly
no) nd n l-
dvlod on o cnl
Ind c Jknd, C,
And Pd nd O.
Pomon lnc dvy lo
ovd cc o ndno
knowld. A cll Bo Sno
w lo v vo o donl
knowld ld o locl ln nd
mdcnl . W j v
vvn k o o o n
onl G Andmn ln,
A nd co-wok nclly
yn o lv mc ol
wl y ll lv.
Andmn ln nd cl,
lk o l on lw n Ind,
Bhasha instttes Tbal Msem n the
vllage of Tejgadh, nea Ahmedabad.
Few people realise thatlanguages are morethan just a means o
communication. Tey areemblematic o the waya community perceivesthe world and, thereby,
ofer a unique insight intothose who speak themand the cultures they
represent.
w vly ndmnd dn
od o colonl l. Snc n
on dod, nc
mny ml, ocly locd y
clo o cvlon, v
wcd o Hnd domnn
ln, nd on on mo
conomc oon. T conomc
mv lo wok mon mo
o nd ln n Ind,
wo k dwn o
o mjo lnHnd, Bnl,
Am, Gj, c.n o
o l. In oc, dd
mno ln omn w
ncon n
nvl
commn
lnc
don ll
no
n w,
c o
ln do
No nc G
collcd dln (
nd 1928)
dld
cony ln
qo. T c
con
n ln
con ln
l n 10
ln
o m
nd mjo ln. B
vy ln mo
on nod y
ln, y Po
xmly cllnn, v
cony, comlx
nd vy lmd m
llocd o k.
T dvd wn m
ln nd oc
o lwc
n VIII Scdl o
Conon lo
l mon lnc
o dmn o w
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WhenUNESCO published the latestAtlas of the
Worlds Languages in Dangerin 2009,
it caused an uproar in Assam by including Ahom as one o
Indias ve extinct languages. Language chauvinists were
aced with a act they had chosen to ignorethe death
o a language that has long shaped the states identity and
l Whil h h Ah hi h h
Te Eleveh HouAn Assam without Ahom. Cause for panic?
at Dibrugarh University, says, It is also monosyllabic and non-inectedit does not allow the
modication o a word to express diferent contexts, like conjugation. Some nd that complex.
Can the language be revived or daily use? Given the status o Assamese in the region, Boruah is
doubtul. It is not just a question o revival, but o survival. Even the other Tai language-speaking
communities are becoming increasingly bilingual as they switch to Assamese, he says. The
underlying argument is that the Ahom people, who arrived here as early as 1228, were exposedto Assamese ar earlier than other groups, who arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. Like the
Ahom, the others are also switching over to Assamese. The total number o Tai speakers remaining
is only around 300,000. But Ahom surely can and must be revived to the extent that allows us to
translate the large number o manuscripts that are just gathering dust, Boruah says.
Ahom is taught at government primary schools, at Dibrugarh University and at the Tai
Academy near Patsaku in Sibsagar district, among other places. But teaching standards are poor,
and students hardly have a chance to practice it. Puspa Gogoi, who compiled an AhomEnglish
Assamese dictionary in 2007 with over 10,000 entries, says the language must be introduced in
high schools and colleges to give people the opportunity to really use it. I speak Ahom, but have
nobody to speak it with, he says. Given its similarities with other southeastern Asian languages,
especially Thai, the government should look at it as a link language and invest in it.
Meanwhile, as eforts to rediscover the Tai aspects o Assams history grow, so does the
interest in Ahom. Scholars o the language are now looking at similar languages elsewhere. This
i i ll Chi Y i h h Ah l d
The Ahom scpt.
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Scdl, cnly n xndl l o
22 cdld ln, ol
o l ln o nd mk
ocl docmn vll n m.T dvlomn o non-cdld
ln, on o nd, q
no c olon. T 2001 cn
codd 100 non-cdld ln
okn y o 3 cn o Ind
olon: vy ln v
ndd on UNESCO ndnd l.
T mn o ln vdlc on mnon o
l, omo mjo
lnc dn n
ncon locl on. T doloy
ovn o clly lln
o yon ol, wo on mk
dcon o jc locl ln,
no only do ln n
cc o nd dvncmn o
dcon, lo cc o lol
cl o dl o
dmoc o, y Goy
Andon. H wn locl lnc
d I d j
Oaon woman wth a baby.
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as it helps preserve cultural elements
in a tangible orm, is it necessary
to create an entirely new one? Why
ld h T l h O i i
(the lingua franca o the Maoist
movement) in lieu o the existing
Devanagari script, to enable tribals
id i
scripting itA handful of language-experts tackle the
2,393 ln o nn 200
mllon ol wo do no y v
cc o c.
Wl ndl Blnlo con ncnly o
vn ln y vn m c
nd docmnn m n ook nd
do codn, ll do
Cny, wc y nodc,
ovwlm locl lon nd
cl ln n.
Fo mny ln nd noolo,vn don mon
ocn ocd ln.
I lv cn o ln
old ck o ln, y Andon,
wo n om o l-n-
dl conqnc, d ovo,
nl n om mony
ln. T only doloy I omo
on llow vyon o k ny
ln() y coo.
T ocl nlc o mny l
ln n Ind lo d Mo o mc m, n od o
wn ov dfcd l. Gond,
ln okn y ov 2 mllon
ol condd non-cdld
ln, n mdm o
ncon o cool n on nd
conol o Mo n cnl Ind.
L nd n m o lncon-mn, ovnmn o
Cw mo Gond
k lv nd wc , nl now,
no xook o o n Gond
odcd y, o m,
xook o c Gond, C,
Kok, Hl nd Sj ln n
d III, IV nd V. S M,
GM C xook
Cooon, o wll nd
ov m o l.
Fonly, o nInd wo zl ocd olly on
ocn mno ln, ol
wo k m nd cl y
n. B, wc d
Adv Acdmy n jd (Gj) n
2000, n d wok ocn
mnoy o, comnd w l
ld nd dconl nvnon nl commn. I n Bdn
T Go, wc omo
cl o dnod wl
cmnl ; Hmlok, n n o
Hmlyn d; nd ccl
Pv Pk Plcon Un, wc
odc ook nd mzn n mny
mnld ln. El
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y, B lncd n mo
Pol Lnc Svy o Ind
(PLSI) l d
o vvl y. So , ld
25 ook n 10 l lnll o
k
n vlnl coy nd
cn ly nmkd. T US, on
d l 54 l
Membes of the Toda commnty.
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50g01/11
Asuspension bridge wn ov
Dl Gn Rv, 16km
l moo o n
Dm Vlly, ddn con
o Hmly. T vll o Sl
oo n Indo-n od
olc ccko. Amcn c
Cn Wll, docmny ln
Rc Unvy, USA, n comn
nc 2001 o wok w Dm
l commny. A n nd
nd, Iv ccomnd on mny
o v.
Sl on o 14 donl vllo wc Dm n c
mm o m, d o nd mk
ofn o mly d
o n ly nm lon. Cn
ldn x n ll-dd
ln o Dm, on o 400
md ln cod
o o-Bmn mly.
T ln okn co
Hmlyn on n Pkn, Ind nd
Nl. T ond 2,000 Dm
k, wolk o non
Indn commn nd
o ln Enl nd Hnd.
A ln w no wn ym,
ln ncldn Cn clyDm n ndnd ln.
Wo docmnonCn
n mo n 2 y ncn
nd wokn w conln
o ndnd Dm vocly nd
ynx cold lo ov.
A dyng langage bngs an Amecan schola
to the edge of the nhabted wold )
Saving
Drm
c conn o oc on codn
on, o nd cmon.
In Sl mm, Cn jond
l ld n n odoo mn ,
w condcd nvw nd
wcl y o mm dn.
S collcd con my, d
olcl d ov ood od
Dm Vlly, nd codd
nm o ood odc nd oold
ojc. In vnn, w wold n
o o vd nn nd m o
Dm mkn mon o
monn.
Lk ln, m-
nomdc, donl wy o l m o
dn . Follown Sno-Indn
w o 1962, Indn ovnmn
cld Dm nd wo
Byn nd C
dcndn o n
w Cn cld,
wo non m
d. T on nd
w l w lmd o
d ovnmn
o jcd Indn
l ll o Bo, d
Hnd wod o Bdd
Non lo
n mlm o nmm
y m R
O v movd o
dvn o ncnv
. A l
Dm l o
T dy, w D
vlly. W 50,000 dn
n Uknd om
Rn . Dcl
com mm o
ocn nnon
ydolcc dm
Dm Vlly n n
lnmn. Dvlomn
common ny
cond c.ool o ln
ovn lv. Sll,
Cn c of
Dm ln. I
mk ojc lk
m, y B.S. Bonl,
wldl ocl, d n
w y o v od
w k o jo
Chstna Wlls ntevews Dama eldes
n Sela vllage. Below, she tals to
Chadangs abot the tbal dalect.
By Dan Oko (text and photos)
Iv ld on o on
nd o o mk w v
only coml cod o Dm,
Cn y. I o commny
w y wn o nd wy o c
nd v ln. On on o
n mm o 2010 w o
dlv ond coy o dcon
o Dm o commny ld n Ind.
Accodn o Nonl
Goc Socy, wold
o lo 90 cn o 7,000 known
ln y nd o cny.
T l ondn o-Bmnln cnly com o l,
nk o n dcovy o
o ndocmnd ln
clld Koo, okn n l Ancl
Pd. T nnoncmn d
Cn. A mll ln o o
olon on coo o dny w
domnn o cl c
, y.
Cn cm o Ind
dcd o, lnd Hnd, nd nd
Fl col, ndn lmo
3 y n ld. Amd w dl
cod, lo nd noook,
md om n monn,
lnn nnc o lnnd l c, vlln,
ndn Dm k wo d movd
o ln. Enn doco,
Cn ncd Dm no
cnc, onc l, odcn
dcony nd wn mm. H