The large number of languages used in Southeast Asia showcases the region’s wide diversity, rich heritage, and colorful history, serving as effective tools in passing down the traditions and customs of ethnic communities. Sadly though, some of these traditional languages face the threat of extinction each year.
Mel Franco, who teaches Sociology at an Asian university, corrected a common misconception. “Some of the traditional languages used by some ethnic or social groups are not merely dialects.
Despite the comparatively small number of users, these languages are completely different and may sound incomprehensible to those not belonging to the same ethnic group,” he told Thai PBS World.
“The basic idea is that a language refers to a system of communication with its own unique grammar and vocabulary. A dialect, on the other hand, is a variant of a language spoken in a specific region or by a particular ethnic or social group, differing primarily in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar but still understandable with the dominant language spoken in the area,” he clarified.
Endangered talk
Franco is concerned that some of these traditional languages and dialects are now slowly dying out. “Southeast Asia’s rich heritage and colorful history can be observed in the numerous languages spoken in the region, alongside other minority languages that form part of the identity of various ethnic groups.
Unfortunately, each year, some of these minority languages face extinction,” he said.
What makes traditional languages and dialects at risk of dying out? Franco told Thai PBS World that a considerable number of languages and dialects worldwide disappear on a yearly basis.
Henri Mouhot map of Sanskrit, Thai, Lao and Khmer scripts//Photo by Ms Sarah Welch via Wikimedia Commons
“It is actually a global occurrence and there are many reasons why this happens,” he said.
According to the Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages, “the main reasons include natural disasters, famine, disease, war, and genocide. There are also a number of other reasons, such as political repression, marginalization, urbanization, and intermarriage.”
In Myanmar, for instance, due to the influence of the Burmese language and culture, a Naga tribe from the country’s northwestern region is losing its traditional language called Lainong and is now shifting to Burmese.
Another example is Sa’och, now spoken occasionally by a decreasing number of older adults living mostly in far western Cambodia and adjacent areas of Thailand.
According to Ratch, a university lecturer in Bangkok, “The official language of Thailand is Thai, but we also have around 70 ethnolinguistic groups using languages that belong to the Southwestern-Thai family of languages.
Some of these are similar to those used in neighboring Laos. About 25 of these traditional languages are at risk of extinction,” she shared.
Many of Thailand’s minority groups speak different languages which are endangered. Kham Muang, also known as Lanna, which is spoken in Chiang Mai and much of Northern Laos, is one of them.
“While an estimated six million people speak the language, it is at risk of extinction. Younger generations adopt our dominant Thai language,” Ratch pointed out.
Generation gap
In Singapore, there has been a reported decline in the speaking of Chinese dialects, particularly Hokkien, Cantonese, and Teochew. A university student, Christine Tan, says the trend has caused the widening of the generation gap between younger and older Singaporeans.
“The use of Mandarin and English at home and in school has made it difficult for us to have a proper conversation with our grandparents and older members of the family whose first language is Teochew,” she said.
In 1979, a Speak Mandarin Campaign was rolled out in Singapore. It was aimed at having Mandarin replace dialects, for economic reasons, as the unifying language of Chinese Singaporeans who were then speaking different dialects.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the use of a Spanish-based creole language called Chavacano is also on the decline. “This is partly due to the attitude of the younger locals who feel that the language and its accent are associated with folks who live in rural areas.
The dominance of English and Tagalog in education and media also contributed to the decline,” stated Jaime, a native Chavacano speaker.
The origins of the Chavacano language can be traced back to the 16th century when Spanish settlers interacted with the indigenous people of the Philippines. Over time, a distinct language emerged, blending Spanish with various Philippine languages to form the Chavacano language.
Beyond communication
While challenges exist in the region in terms of revitalizing traditional minority languages, creative efforts and innovative approaches are currently being adopted by both the public and private sectors in some countries in the region.
Preserving and promoting traditional languages is important in maintaining diversity and heritage.
“Even if these traditional languages no longer have commercial or economic value, they can still bring people together as they go beyond just a form of communication. They transmit cultures and history while strengthening cultural identity and family ties,” Franco concluded.
This story is part of a series about the vanishing cultural traditions in Southeast Asia.
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PHOTO
Balinese: Balinese Palm-leaf writing, this form of writing existed all over the Malay archipelago.// Photo uploader by Ancheta Wis via English Wikipedia.
Script: Henri Mouhot map of Sanskrit, Thai, Lao and Khmer scripts//Photo by Ms Sarah Welch via Wikimedia Commons
Young Asian: Technology expands our vocabulary, while some languages fall silent.// Photo by Artem Podrez via pexels.com
Writing: The generation gap often begins with a language we no longer speak.//Photo via pexel.com
Singapore: Singapore’s cultural heart remains alive — even as the voices of older dialects become harder to hear.//Photo via pexel.com
