The Nepali language has received worldwide attention of late, with internet giant Google incorporating it into its translation system. But as Nepali is promoted globally, many other national languages have been endangered and undermined. 

Previously, Nepali was classified as the National Language (Rastriya Bhasa) used for official purposes while other spoken languages were classified as Nationality Languages (Rastra Bhasa). The Interim Constitution of 2007, however, classifies all traditional languages spoken in Nepal as “mother tongues”. 

Although the Constitution had been slightly altered, language experts claim that in practice little was done to preserve and promote these languages. Says linguist and educator Bhim Regmi: “We have failed to preserve and promote these languages. Just equipping the national document with constitutional words isn’t enough.” 

The National Census (2011) documents 123 living languages in Nepal. These include the Austro-Asiatic languages such as Dravidian, Chhantyal and Khadiya which emanate from continental Southeast Asia, Nepali sign language, and Arabi and Kusunda (which remains unclassified). There exist 70 Sino-Tibeto languages, out of which 68 are classified as Tibeto-Burman.

Similarly, 47 languages are classified as Indo-European, including Spanish, Russian, French and English. Languages including Jhongkha, Bangla, Urdu and Hindi are classified under the Indo-Aryan category whereas Punjabi, Sindhi, Bhojpuri and Maithali are listed as cross-border languages. 

Regmi claims Nepali has been the most popular of these in terms of speaking and development due to its status, written tradition and history. Following Nepali in popularity is Newari (Nepal Bhasa) due largely to its literary history and Kathmandu-centrism. “Maithali, Bhojpuri and Tamang languages also have a following with loyal groups and literary traditions that are still alive,” said Regmi.

In 2005, an American scholar and linguist Michael Noonan asserted that Nepal had 140 different languages, though the census has identified only 123. Former Professor at Tribhuvan University’s linguistics department Chudamani Bandhu said that Noonan might have classified languages from the same community more intricately to achieve this number. 

“Many of the languages are still under survey within the linguistics department,” said Bandhu. “Studies for 50 different languages are under way. The majority of languages in Nepal are endangered,” added Bandhu. 

Bandhu said that the extinction of any language is not just a national loss, but a worldwide loss. “There is immense knowledge involved with every language. The vocabulary, tradition, rituals, and practice, everything will be lost,” said Bandhu. One of the major reasons for the endangerment of languages is due to their lack of a written tradition. Most languages coming from mountain regions, especially Rai languages, are endangered, said Bandhu.

To Regmi, language is a vehicle which transfers culture. “As this vehicle crashes, we cannot promote our culture. Losing a language is the same as losing traditions and technology,” said Regmi. “We have already lost a lot of our culture and we cannot afford to lose anymore.”