Hmar, Paite, Mao language extinct: UN report (fwd link)

[scott delancey]

There's something a bit odd about this report, as you can see if you read the article.
All these languages are certainly endangered, and AFAIK there's no one left who can
really speak Andro or Sekmai (although I could be wrong, and it's kind of a sensitive issue 
to call them "extinct"), but I have met and talked with speakers of Purum and Paite within the
past two years, and I know linguists in Manipur who are currently working with speakers
of Aimol and Tarao.  In fact there are speakers of several of the languages listed here -- 
many of them in their 20's and 30's -- who have degrees in linguistics from Manipur University 
or other universities in the region and are actively working on documenting and developing 
their home languages.  

I don't know firsthand whether or how effectively any of these languages are being transmitted
to children, and I'm definitely not denying that there's an urgent situation -- in fact, hundreds
of urgent situations -- in North East India, but releasing an official list of "extinct" languages
that is mostly incorrect doesn't seem like it's contributing to a solution.

--
Scott DeLancey
Department of Linguistics
University of Oregon 1290
Eugene, OR 97403-1290, USA
541-346-3901

On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 10:56:04 -0700, Phillip E Cash Cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:
> Hmar, Paite, Mao language extinct: UN report 
> 
> Written by Mizoram Express 
> 
 Zoram Khawvel 
> Aug 6, 2010 
>   
> 
 Tribal languages under threat. 
> 
> IMPHAL: In a surprising report of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its online interactive atlas of the world’s languages in danger 2009, some major tribal languages of Manipur have been  enlisted as extinct languages while some other languages as endangered. 
> 
 
> The extinct languages as mentioned in the UNESCO report are Aimol, Tarao, Purum, Phayeng, Andro and Sekmai while those endangered are Kabui, Hmar, Kom, Gangte, Mao, Maram, Maring, Moyon and Paite. 
> 
 
> The report of the UNESCO on the status of major tribal languages of the state is quite questionable as most of these languages are currently spoken by the respective tribes as their mother-tongue. 
> 
 
> Access full article below: 
> http://mizoramexpress.com/index.php/2010/08/hmar-paite-mao-language-extinct-un-report/ 
>