History of Transformation of Scripts and Languages

The transformation history of script and language is understood as the duration of their creation, through development to extinction. As stated above, scripts and languages developed over the time in their own caste and communities. A lot of them have already been extinct. Some are in existence, helping people to have their wishes conveyed. Linguists of the beginning of the 20th century couldn’t certainly state the existing number of scripts and languages. Some have stated them to be 3000 in number while others have opined them to be 10,000 in number. One research report published in 1996, with wider area coverage of world languages, says there are 6703 scripts and languages. Another research paper, “Anthology of International Script and Languages,” claims the number to be 6,300. Common languages of people are 6,000 in number, the report claims. World Map of Script and Language has stated the number to be 6796. It further says the number of common peoples’ languages is 6,000. A world-renowned linguist, David Crystal, has said the number of languages is around 6000. In 2000 A.D., in his book “Death of Language”, he gave details of the condition of languages of the world. There are eight languages which are spoken by more than 100 million. They are:

1. English
2. Chinese
3. Spanish
4. Russian
5. Portuguese
6. Hindi
7. Japanese
8. and Bangali

Similarly, 72 languages are spoken by 19,999,999 (around 20 million) people, and 239 languages are spoken by ranging from 10 million to 19 million people. Further, Crystal says 795 languages are spoken by, ranging from 100,000 to 900,000 people. 1600 languages are spoken by, ranging from 10,000 to 90,000 people. 1700 languages are spoken, ranging from 1000 to 9,999. Similarly, 1075 languages are spoken by, ranging from 100 to 900 people and 302 languages are spoken by only 10 to 9 people. Finally, 81 languages are spoken only by 1 to 9 people. It has been mentioned that 51 languages are spoken by only one person, like Kasabe Language. In addition, 178 languages are spoken by 10 to 50 people and 99 languages are spoken by less than 12 people. Language can be compared with humans. Languages with more than 10 million speakers are young languages, and languages spoken by few are like an old person. The striking point is that around 70% of the languages don’t have their own script. Only 1,500 languages have their own scripts. All these languages are communicating through signs and symbols. Finally, it is through language people are protecting their knowledge, views and religious principles.

Reasons for Extinction of Scripts and Languages
The reasons for the extinction of scripts and languages can be studied in six sub-divisions. They are given below.

1. Nature of Extinction of Script and Language
2. Method of Extinction of Script and Language
3. Reason for Extinction of Script and Language
4. Symptoms of Extinction of Script and Language
5. Outcome of Extinction of Script and Language
6. Protection of Extinction of Script and Language

a. Nature of Extinction of Script and Language
To talk about the nature of script and language, they get their origin, develop over the time, travel across diverse geography, and die at last like humans. For example, the Kasabe language was alive on 1995 November 4, and on November 5, it became extinct. An old man named Bagon was the only speaker of the language. With his death on November 5, the Kasabe language also got extinct from this world. His only sister could understand but could not speak her language. None in their clan, sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, were able to speak the language. Consequently, the Kasabe language became extinct from this world forever. Languages and scripts are carriers of culture, tradition and knowledge, and once they get extinct everything gets extinct. It can be compared with moving ships in the ocean. Once it gets destroyed, every human asset gets destroyed. When the mother tongue and script of a caste become extinct simultaneously the caste itself goes into extinction. There wouldn’t be any space to scale large or small damage. Finally, people of that caste get transformed into another caste, and their earlier clan disappears. When a person doesn’t speak one’s mother tongue, he/she has no value.

2. Method of Extinction of Language and Script
It has been said that more than 1,000 languages have been extinct only in the 20th century. Reports say a language is extinct every fortnight. A group of American linguists, including Michael Cross, has predicted that in one hundred years’ time to come around 50% of mother tongues will become extinct, which come to be around 3,000 languages. 100 years converts to 1200 months. The calculation appears that in around two weeks, one language will become extinct. Michael Cross has further claimed the same view. The unprecedented rise of material extension of the present age indicates a major crisis in mother tongues. 6000 languages are predicted to be extinct. Paris Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published a report on 28 February 2009, saying 25% of world languages are suffering from extreme danger phase. This is the study of 2001. The risk might have increased further. Based on this, scholars have said there will be only six languages in the coming 250 years. They are English, Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese and Japanese. As there are hundreds of languages spoken by very few people, they are vulnerable to extinct. 51 languages are spoken by one person only. 50 languages are spoken by around ten people only. 500 languages are spoken by around 100 people only. 1500 languages are spoken by less than 100 people. It is said that 5,000 languages are spoken by less than 100,000 people.