Most of the languages of Gilgit Baltistan face threat of extinction

Karachi: Local dialects of Gilgit Baltistan are among the languages which face the threat of extinction, a UN report said.

According to an interactive Atlas of World’s Languages report of United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNISCO), most of the endangered languages are spoken in small mountainous hamlets. The atlas said the languages in question faced threats of extinction due to the monopoly of major languages and lack of documentation and preservation on the part of the authorities concerned.

Overall, around 69 languages are spoken in the country with great linguistic diversity. The Atlas said Domaki, Kalash are severely endangered, Wakhi is endangered, and Brushaski and Khowar are vulnerable to extinction. According to it, the severely endangered language is spoken by grandparents and older generations, while the parent generation may understand it but doesn’t speak it to children or among themselves. Definitely endangered language is no longer learnt by children as mother tongue at home, while in case of vulnerable language, most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains like homes.