500 endangered languages will be documented by CIIL

March 4, 2014

The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) will commence on a mega project to document almost 500 endangered languages in India, each spoken by less than 10000 people.

Objective: To bring out dictionaries and also document and preserve the ethnic knowledge system enshrined in the languages, including folklore. It also intends to frame grammar rules. Experts would give suggestions for the revitalization of these languages.
Approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The decision to document endangered languages was taken by the CIIL during a two-day workshop on “Endangered tribal languages in south India”.
The CIIL will collaborate with universities and institutes.
About 70 languages from different parts of the country would be studied in the first phase and 500 would be taken up in a span of 10 years.

The study and documentation of each language would cost between Rs. 6 lakh and Rs. 8 lakh.

About Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL)

An Indian research and teaching institute based in Mysore, part of the Language Bureau of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Found: 1981.
Objective: To protects and documents Minor, Minority and Tribal Languages.

Established to coordinate the Indian languages through scientific studies, promote inter disciplinary research to contribute to mutual enrichment of languages and thus contribute towards emotional integration of the people of India.

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