
India’s lost 220 languages in past 50 years - skbohra123
http://www.nagalandpost.com/ChannelNews/National/NationalNews.aspx?news=TkVXUzEwMDA0MzUwNA%3D%3D-6GjDb5vmb0k%3D
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winter_blue
I know this may be controversial opinion, but I think India needs to adopt an
_archive and extinguish_ policy with its many regional languages. Frankly,
there's too many languages.

First, archive -- record the language, its linguistic structure & features for
science's and posterity's sake.

Then, coalesce all these regional (particularly North Indian) dialects and
languages into Standard Hindi. Standard Hindi itself could perhaps be allowed
to evolve by absorbing features from the languages it extirpates and form a
"New Hindi".

This would be easier done in the North. With the South Indian languages
there's practically not much of an option besides teaching them Hindi, and
encouraging Hindi adoption in the home. The South Indian (Dravidian) languages
are so different from the North Indian (Indo-Aryan) languages, that they share
barely anything in common with Hindi (besides some common vocabulary).
Alternatively, the South could be encouraged to switch to English, but this
would probably prove too politically controversial.

Finally but not the least, Hindi needs to be turned into a language of the
arts and sciences -- particularly in the the sciences, or rather, in all STEM
fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine). Most countries (China,
Germany, Korea, France, Japan, the Arab countries, etc.) -- all use their own
languages for the majority of things they do. In India, English continues to
dominate, perhaps in a desirable fashion -- but at least for the sake of 95%
Indians who don't really speak English, it would be good to give them access
to the STEM fields without forcing them to learn a totally different/new
language.

~~~
sremani
Another Northie idiot showing his intellectual shallowness - you do not
understand how Language and Culture are central to Identity. Any way, how
about teaching BiMaRU idiots writing in Hindi, once your Hinterland
accomplishes 100% literacy(most likely never), we can talk.

~~~
seiji
Online regional Indian spats are always entertaining.

There's so much pride dripping from every word forming a pool of vitriol
towards anything not-like-the-speaker.

(and if "Language and Culture are central to Identity" perhaps we should
cultivate a larger view of the world? Being blindingly obsessed with culture
and history isn't healthy. Forming your entire identity around the past leads
to moronic things like never ending wars because someone slighted someone
else's father two hundred years ago.)

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batguano
I am amazed and humbled to hear that India has 880 languages.

I am a stereotypically monolingual American--years of study allow me to mumble
a few sentences of Spanish, German, and an even smaller amount of Japanese. I
cannot even conceive of 800/1100+ languages--it's like trying to understand
the scale of the Sun or imagine how fast light travels compared to say, a
motorcycle or walking.

I was hoping someone here on HN was going to give a little background on what
880 _living_ languages even means. Mostly, in a linguistic/cognitive sense,
but also in a cultural/economic/political sense.

~~~
anuraj
Well - India has 22 scheduled languages which are used as official languages
and enjoy high level of development owing to state patronage. Each of these
languages are spoken by more than a million people. Besides India has close to
800 unlisted languages which do not get the level of patronage that is
required and is facing slow extinction. Some of these languages are spoken by
less than 1000 people today and are in danger of imminent extinction. Unless
we document and preserve them, a large chunk of human history and wisdom shall
be wiped out with out any hope of claiming them back.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_India](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_India)

~~~
test001only
May seem like boasting, but could not resist! Indians if they have finished
schooling can speak at least two languages - English and their local/native
language. Some of them in the south learn Hindi also, so it comes to three
languages - most of the colleagues I work with fall under this category. Also
Indians are pretty good at picking up new language if the move to another
state in the country for work. I for one know five languages Tamil, Malayalam,
Hindi, English and Kanada.

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ellicottvilleny
Most of these languages should die. The purpose of a language is to unite
groups of people. India's native languages are enmeshed in thousand year old
(and older) ethnic, religious and regional ruts. Hindi is not important in the
Tamil regions. Nor is Hindi or Tamil important in some other provinces of
India. All educated working people will be speaking English plus whatever
language they want to speak, and nobody outside or inside India needs to
venture any opinion otherwise, as that's the global norm these days. English
for business. Your own bloody business what you speak at home and with your
friends, and your family.

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ommunist
India had always been rich in languages. And I observe that from one side it
is loosing few forest tribes dialects, many people in India are gaining solid
knowledge of C++ and alike languages from the other side. Although I must
admit, both tendences are very regional by nature. Is the world becoming
poorer for that? I do not know.

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lignuist
Language diversity is a power tool against electronic mass surveillance.

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tariqr
Consolidation FTW.

