Editorial of the Day: Disappearing languages, vanishing voices (The Hindu)

Context: The article is discussing the role of English as a common language in India, its historical context dating back to the British Raj, and the idea of a universal language for all people. It begins by acknowledging that English has served as a connecting thread among multilingual Indians in urban areas but highlights its limitations in remote regions. It then explores the idea of a single global language and draws a parallel with the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, where the division of language led to confusion and hindered collective efforts. Overall, the article addresses the significance of language as a cultural and communicative tool, discussing its impact on unity, diversity, and knowledge transfer in both historical and contemporary contexts, with a focus on India and the English language.

Decoding the Editorial

• The article raises the question of why people across the world can’t speak the same language, suggesting that it could simplify communication and strengthen global unity.
• It also mentions the theory that the British unintentionally contributed to Indian unity and empowerment by teaching English.
• It emphasizes the power of a common language as a means of transferring information, ideas, and emotions.

A forecast of language extinction:

The article discusses the phenomenon of language extinction and the factors contributing to it.

• Language Extinction: There are approximately 7,000 distinct languages spoken around the world, but many of these languages are rapidly declining and are becoming extinct. The term “extinction” in this context refers to languages no longer being spoken as a mother tongue or as the primary language within a community.
• Mathematical Model: The article mentions a mathematical model published in The Economic Journal, which predicts that around 40% of languages with fewer than 35,000 speakers will become extinct within the next century. This suggests that smaller languages are more vulnerable to disappearing.
• Dominance of a Few Languages: Also, about half of the world’s population speaks one of the top 10 most widely spoken languages as their mother tongue. This concentration of languages poses a serious threat to linguistic diversity.
• English as a Dominant Language: English is observed as the world’s most widely spoken language, largely due to historical factors such as British colonialism. The spread of English has contributed to the decline of many other languages.
• Migration and Language Shift: The article discusses how migration plays a significant role in language extinction. When people move to countries where a different language is dominant, they often face pressure to adopt the dominant language for social and economic reasons. This can lead to language shift, where future generations have a weaker connection to their ancestral languages.
  • Example of India: In India, there is increasing migration to English-speaking countries. The article raises the question of what might happen to languages like Hindi, which has a large number of second language speakers, in the face of the growing dominance of English.

Index of Linguistic Diversity (ILD)

The article discusses the significance of linguistic diversity and its decline, as well as the implications of this decline on culture and identity.

• Index of Linguistic Diversity (ILD): This index is introduced as a quantitative measure used to understand trends in the number of mother-tongue speakers of the world’s languages over the past 30 years. It is a tool to gauge the decline of languages.
• Language Diversity Index (LDI): This index measures the probability that two randomly selected people from a population will have different mother tongues. It ranges from 0 (everyone has the same mother tongue) to 1 (no two people have the same mother tongue).
• Comparison of Countries: The article provides examples of countries with different LDIs. It notes that countries with a smaller number of mother languages tend to have a lower LDI, while those with a larger number of mother tongues have a higher LDI.
  • For instance, the United Kingdom has a lower LDI compared to India due to its linguistic diversity.
• The Impact of Migration: The article highlights how the presence of migrants from different countries can influence a country’s LDI.
• • For example, the United States, despite having English as its predominant language like the United Kingdom, has a higher LDI due to its diverse immigrant population.
• Global Decline in Linguistic Diversity: The article cites the ILD to demonstrate that linguistic diversity has declined globally by 20% between 1970 and 2005. It also shows regional declines in linguistic diversity, particularly in the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa.
• Uneven Distribution: It is emphasised that the distribution of speakers among the world’s languages is becoming increasingly uneven over time. More people are adopting a few dominant languages at the expense of smaller ones.
• Endangered Languages: The article points out that some languages are so endangered that they have only one living native speaker. This precarious situation highlights the risk of these languages becoming extinct, along with the loss of associated cultural identity and knowledge.
• Cultural Significance of Languages: It stresses that languages are not just tools for communication but also carriers of cultural values and indigenous knowledge. The extinction of languages leads to a decrease in cultural diversity and an increase in cultural homogenization.

The situation in India and the need for strategies:

• According to a 2018 UNESCO report, India is facing the potential extinction of 42 languages spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, primarily among indigenous tribal communities.
• UNESCO considers languages with such a low number of speakers to be endangered.
• While the world focuses on preserving biodiversity and is alarmed by the loss of species, the analogy can be drawn between languages and distinct species within the realm of linguistics.
• The decline of any language represents not only a reduction in linguistic diversity but also a loss of the associated cultural nuances, perspectives, beliefs, and knowledge systems.
• It is imperative that we begin to explore innovative strategies on a global scale to combat the decline of languages.
• Efforts must be made to preserve some of these endangered languages, akin to conserving endangered species.

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