GEO Unspoken Tongues

7/28/2019 GEO Unspoken Tongues

1/10

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


2/10


3/10

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.


4/10

38g01/11

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.


5/10

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


6/10

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.


7/10

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.


8/10

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


9/10

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.


10/10

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

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GEO Unspoken Tongues