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Lost and Found: The Struggle To Preserve Nepal’s Linguistic Heritage
Of 129 spoken languages identified in 2019, at least 24 are endangered
At last count, in 2019, Nepal had 129 spoken languages, but even as new ones are identified, others are becoming extinct.
At least 24 of the languages and dialects in Nepal have become “endangered,” and the next three ones on the verge of disappearing are Dura, Kusunda, and Tillung, each of which has only one speaker left.
Parents insist on proficiency in Nepali or English in school to ensure good job prospects for their children; at least 24 indigenous languages in Nepal have become ‘endangered.’
Child reading Newa folk story, Dhaplaan Khyaa, by Durgalal Shrestha. Credit: ASHISH SHAKYA
KATMANDU, Feb 3 2021 (IPS) - At last count Nepal had 129 spoken languages, but even as new ones are identified, others are becoming extinct. At least 24 of the languages and dialects spoken in Nepal are ‘endangered’, and the next ones on the verge of disappearing are Dura, Kusunda, and Tillung, each of which have only one speaker left.
“It will not surprise me if these three languages will be the next to go. With no one left to speak, we will not be able to save them,” says Lok Bahadur Lopchan of the Language Commission of Nepal, which is entrusted with preserving Nepal’s linguistic diversity.