Ebook: Diversity and Endangerment of Languages in Nepal
- Genre: Linguistics // Foreign
- Tags: Языки и языкознание, Непальский язык, Языки Непала
- Language: Nepali-English
- pdf
Publisher: UNESCO (UNESCO Kathmandu Series of Monographs and Working Papers: No 7)
Date: 2005
Pages: 64
Translation into Nepali by Lekhnath Sharma PathakThe purpose of this monograph is to disseminate among a wider public insights gained from the UNESCO Language Survey Report (2002) for Nepal. The emphasis is put on the linguistic diversity of Nepal on the one hand, and on the reasons for and the status of endangerment for some languages of Nepal on the other hand. Nepal is well known as a country of rich diversity geographically and culturally. That it is equally rich in linguistic diversity is less known. For a small country like Nepal to have (at least) 90 languages is often perceived incredible. A frequently met opinion is that this number must be including dialects. Yet we are referring only to such languages as are spoken by indigenous peoples of Nepal, excluding the numerous dialects especially of the larger languages. Also excluded are a number of languages spoken in neighbouring countries by people groups spilling over into Nepal. The national language Nepali is the mother tongue of only about half of the total population.
At present (and at the time the Survey was undertaken), almost all of the language groups of Nepal are represented in the capital Kathmandu. This facilitates easy access to languages for the researcher, but it means danger for languages with a small number of speakers as it hastens language loss due to the necessity of daily communication with speakers of other languages using the Nepali language.
This monograph looks at languages spoken in Nepal in the context of Nepal’s geographical, socio-linguistic and multi-cultural situation. In the first chapter, language and geography is described. Chapter two deals with languages and dialects, including monolingualism, bilingualism and multilingualism. In chapter three, language use is discussed. Chapter four deals with the social and cultural situation in relation to language. Chapter five deals with language attitudes and their consequences. Chapter six focuses on endangerment of languages in Nepal. In conclusion, some counter measures are suggested for endangered languages, including institutions and organizations that are concerned with description and preservation of languages. There is great urgency to act before it is too late for some of the endangered languages in Nepal.
Date: 2005
Pages: 64
Translation into Nepali by Lekhnath Sharma PathakThe purpose of this monograph is to disseminate among a wider public insights gained from the UNESCO Language Survey Report (2002) for Nepal. The emphasis is put on the linguistic diversity of Nepal on the one hand, and on the reasons for and the status of endangerment for some languages of Nepal on the other hand. Nepal is well known as a country of rich diversity geographically and culturally. That it is equally rich in linguistic diversity is less known. For a small country like Nepal to have (at least) 90 languages is often perceived incredible. A frequently met opinion is that this number must be including dialects. Yet we are referring only to such languages as are spoken by indigenous peoples of Nepal, excluding the numerous dialects especially of the larger languages. Also excluded are a number of languages spoken in neighbouring countries by people groups spilling over into Nepal. The national language Nepali is the mother tongue of only about half of the total population.
At present (and at the time the Survey was undertaken), almost all of the language groups of Nepal are represented in the capital Kathmandu. This facilitates easy access to languages for the researcher, but it means danger for languages with a small number of speakers as it hastens language loss due to the necessity of daily communication with speakers of other languages using the Nepali language.
This monograph looks at languages spoken in Nepal in the context of Nepal’s geographical, socio-linguistic and multi-cultural situation. In the first chapter, language and geography is described. Chapter two deals with languages and dialects, including monolingualism, bilingualism and multilingualism. In chapter three, language use is discussed. Chapter four deals with the social and cultural situation in relation to language. Chapter five deals with language attitudes and their consequences. Chapter six focuses on endangerment of languages in Nepal. In conclusion, some counter measures are suggested for endangered languages, including institutions and organizations that are concerned with description and preservation of languages. There is great urgency to act before it is too late for some of the endangered languages in Nepal.
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