Expert Says 116 Local Languages Face Extinction (fwd)

Mon Nov 6 02:50:31 UTC 2006

The Himalayan Times Online
Printed from www.thehimalayantimes.com

Expert Says 116 Local Languages Face Extinction

Kathmandu, November 5
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/PrintStory.asp?filepath=aATaoanlaNaeaw2a/a2Ta0sa/Wa1a/yqgaHaoZaea/aFWata0a5wxyefua0a8voIamal

Around 116 local languages of the total 126 languages estimated to be
spoken throughout the nation are on the verge of extinction.

Professor Dr Yogendra Prasad Yadav, head of Central Department of
Linguistic, TU said that 116 of the 126 languages found to be used in
Nepal, are endangered. "The number of native speakers have gone down
drastically over the years and trend of language shift to Nepali is
increasing," said Professor Dr Yadav.

Some of the ethnic groups of western region such as Darai, Baram, Raute,
Raji, Chepang have stopped using their native language due to internal
migration and have adopted the Nepali or languages other than their
own.

"Nepali languages is more frequently used because this is the official
language and also link languages," said Professor Dr Yadav. There are
33 Rai languages but very few are in use these days, said Prof Yadav.

Scripts of six to seven languages -- Nepali, Maithali, Bhojpuri, Awadi,
Nepal Bhasha and Limbu -- have been documented while documentation of
scripts of few more languages such as Tamang, Magar, Tharu, Rajbanshi
have started.

Local languages could be preserved if the government introduced local
languages in the school level curriculum as an optional subject, Prof
Yadav opined.

In order to preserve the endangered languges of the Himalayan region,
the Linguistic Society of Nepal is organising 12 Himalayan Language
Symposium here on November 26 through 28.

Meanwhile, Prof Yadav recently resigned from his post as a coordinator
of the Education for All Linguistic Minorities committee alleging that
the Education Ministry made no effort in implementing their
suggestions.

"There is no use of occupying the post when the government made no
effort to implement the suggestions forwarded by the committee," said
Professor Yadav.

Laba Prasad Tripathee, spokesperson at Education Ministry said that
government is seriously thinking of implementing native language as a
means of instruction to achieve the Education for All goals. He said
there are some technical problems that have been causing delay in
implementation of the programme.