Nepal’s Language Seke Near Extinct

Nepal’s Language Seke Near Extinct

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Society 

In News

• The New York Times recently reported that the “near-extinct” Nepalese language Seke has just 700 speakers around the world.
• Possible reason: Nepali which is Nepal’s official language is considered to be crucial for getting educational and employment opportunities outside villages.Thus,the younger generation does not find much use in learning the language, giving preference to Nepali and English.
• The vulnerability of the language is also linked to the migration of people to places where Seke is not spoken, which has reduced the intergenerational transmission of the language

Do You know?

• The year 2019, was the International Year of Indigenous Languages, mandated by the United Nations
• As per UNESCO, roughly 57 per cent of the world’s estimated 6,000 languages are safe, about 10 per cent are vulnerable, 10.7 per cent are definitely endangered
• There are roughly 201 endangered languages in India and about 70 in Nepal.