Toto Language
Source: The Hindu
GS II: Indian Heritage and Culture
Overview
- News in Brief
- Toto Language
Why in the News?
A language spoken by barely 1,600 people living in parts of West Bengal bordering Bhutan is to get a dictionary, thanks to the efforts of a professor at the University of Calcutta.
- Toto Shabda Sangraha translating Toto words into Bengali and English, will be released in Kolkata.
News in Brief
- Toto is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the tribal Toto people and is written in the Bengali script.
- Even though prominent community member Dhaniram Toto developed a script as recently as in 2015, most people either write it in Bengali script or write in Bengali language.
- A book by the Padma Shri-decorated Mr. Toto, titled Dhanua Totor Kathamala, was written in Bengali.
Toto Language
- It is a nearly extinct language spoken by the Toto tribe, a small indigenous community in the Indian state of West Bengal.
- Toto is a Sino-Tibetan language.
- The Toto people are one of the most marginalized and endangered indigenous groups in India, with only a few hundred members remaining.
- UNESCO lists it as a critically endangered language.
- It is considered a language isolate, which means it has no known relation to any other language.
- It is not part of any larger language family, and its origins and linguistic roots remain a subject of study and debate among linguists.
- Due to the small number of Toto speakers and the influence of dominant languages in the region, such as Bengali, the Toto language is critically endangered.
- Efforts have been made by linguists and anthropologists to document and revitalize the language, but the challenges are significant.
- Language revitalization initiatives typically involve efforts to teach the language to younger generations, create educational materials in the language, and raise awareness about its cultural significance.
- However, the success of such initiatives depends on various factors, including community support and government policies.
- Preserving and revitalizing endangered languages like Toto is essential not only for linguistic diversity but also for the preservation of the unique cultural heritage and knowledge of indigenous communities.
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