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Around 400 Languages Of Indian Sub-Continent May Die Out In 50 Years, Says Linguistic Survey

August 4, 2017 | By

New Delhi: According to the latest survey conducted by People’s Linguistic Survey of India (PSLI) more than half of the languages spoken by habitats of the Indian sub-continent may die out over the next 50 years, calling for a concerted effort to preserve the tongues spoken by the endangered tribal communities.

Image for Representation.

As reported by the media the People’s Linguistic Survey of India (PSLI) raised the alarm during the launch of the latest 11 volumes in its planned 50 volume survey of the sub-continent’s languages. India’s people speak as many as 780 different languages, the PSLI reportedly said.

“At least 400 Indian languages are at the risk of dying in coming 50 years,” reads the quote from the statement of GN Devy, the chairman of PSLI.

”Each time a language is lost, the corresponding culture is killed, adding that sub-continent had already lost 250 languages in last five decades.”

It is believed  that the scholars and students at PSLI documents regional languages in order to conserve cultural heritage and diversity.

Most at risk are marginal tribal communities whose children receive no education or, if they do go to school, are taught in one of  22 officially recognised languages in India’s constitution, notes India Today.

“Maithili, which is spoken in the eastern state of Bihar, is at least 1,000 years old. Similarly there are several old languages which are surviving somehow in India, but we are hardly passing them on,” reads the statement of political psychologist Ashis Nandy published in The Tribune (TT).

Furthermore, GN Devy stated that the PSLI will start work on a project to document about 6,000 living languages spoken around the world. The report is scheduled to come out by 2025.


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