"Africa's Vanishing Voices”.
In "Africa's Vanishing Voices”, we look into the rich diversity of Africa’s languages while focusing on the urgent need for efforts to safeguard these endangered languages from disappearing forever. In this week’s linguablog, we focus on seven of these languages amongst many!
Khoisan Languages:
The Khoisan languages, probably one of the most fascinating languages in the world, is characterized by their use of click consonants. They are among the oldest language groups in Africa, with roots dating back tens of thousands of years. They were traditionally spoken by hunter-gatherer communities across southern Africa.
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The Khoisan languages face threats from cultural assimilation, forced relocation, and language shift due to colonialism and modernization. Additionally, the small number of speakers and limited documentation pose challenges to language preservation efforts.
Ogiek Languages:
The Ogiek languages are spoken by the Ogiek indigenous communities of Kenya, who traditionally lived as forest dwellers. However, deforestation, land encroachment, and government resettlement programs have threatened the Ogiek languages, such as Ogiek and Sogoo.
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Tunen Language:
The Tunen language is spoken by the Tunen people, a small ethnic group in northern Cameroon which shares its border with Nigeria. It belongs to the Bantu language family and has been spoken in the Mandara Mountains region.
The Tunen language is endangered due to the influence of dominant languages such as Fulfulde and Hausa, as well as socioeconomic factors like rural-to-urban migration and limited access to education in Tunen-speaking communities.
Ongota Language:
Ongota is a critically endangered language spoken by a small community in southwestern Ethiopia. It is considered a language isolate, meaning it has no known genetic relatives. Challenges: The Ongota language is on the brink of extinction due to intermarriage with neighbouring communities, loss of cultural identity, and lack of institutional support for language revitalization efforts. Additionally, the absence of written documentation exacerbates the challenges of preserving Ongota. Italian linguist , Graziano Sava, travelled to Ethiopia to document his journey towards saving this dying language. Click here -Ongota - a dying language on Vimeo
Birwa Language
Birwa is a minority language spoken by the Birwa people in Botswana. It is part of the Khoe family of languages and has its own unique linguistic characteristics. The Birwa language is at risk due to the influence of dominant languages like Tswana and English, as well as socio-economic factors such as rural-urban migration and limited access to education in Birwa-speaking communities.
Hadza Language:
The Hadza language is spoken by the Hadza people of Tanzania, who are one of the last hunter-gatherer societies in Africa. It is known for its unique linguistic features and cultural significance.
The Hadza language is endangered due to external pressures such as encroachment on their land, cultural assimilation, and limited educational opportunities. Younger generations are increasingly shifting to Swahili and other dominant languages.
Ubang Language.
Finally, we have the Ubang language is spoken by the Ubang people, an ethnic group located in two villages in the southern part of Nigeria: Ojirami and Ibagwa, both situated in the Cross River State. What sets Ubang apart is its unique linguistic feature called "Ubang gender system." This system assigns gender not just to nouns but also to verbs, distinguishing between actions performed by men and those performed by women. Isn’t that fascinating?
This phenomenon has drawn attention from linguists and anthropologists interested in understanding the cultural and cognitive implications of gendered language structures.
credit - BBC
Despite its linguistic uniqueness, the Ubang language, like many minority languages in Nigeria, faces challenges such as language shift towards dominant languages like English and the lack of institutional support for its preservation and documentation.
From the indigenous languages of Southern Africa to the marginalized languages of East Africa and beyond, these languages face threats from colonial legacies, socio-economic pressures, urbanisation and political instability. What other languages do you know are facing extinction and what do you think can be done to salvage them?