Kurumba Language: Threat to Linguistic Diversity

14 Nov 2026

Tags: Prelims   Current events of national and international importance

Source: The Hindu

Context: The Kurumba language, spoken by an Adivasi community in Kerala, faces the threat of extinction due to declining intergenerational transmission, migration and dominance of Malayalam.

Kurumba Community

• Location: Hilly forest regions of Attappady, Palakkad district, Kerala.
• Population: 2,719 (2024).
• Status: Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG); one of the five PVTGs in Kerala.
• Language: Kurumba – an oral language without a script; primarily used for communication within the community.

Threats to Kurumba Language

• Language shift: Younger generations increasingly adopt dominant languages (mainly Malayalam) instead of their mother tongue.
• Migration: Movement for education and employment reduces interaction among native speakers.
• Lack of educational facilities: Limited schools beyond primary level in tribal areas encourage linguistic assimilation.
• Lack of documentation: Oral transmission and absence of a script make preservation difficult.

Key Linguistic Concepts

• Endangered Language: A language whose speakers are declining, particularly due to reduced transmission to younger generations.
• Language Shift: Gradual replacement of a community's mother tongue by a dominant language.
• Linguistic Diversity: Variety of languages spoken within a region or country; its loss also affects cultural heritage and identity.

Government Initiatives

• Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL), 2013:
  • Launched by the Ministry of Education.
  • Aims to document, archive and revitalise endangered and lesser-known languages, particularly those with fewer than 10,000 speakers.
• People's Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI), 2010:
  • Conducted by Bhasha Research and Publication Centre, under Prof. G.N. Devy.
  • Documented approximately 800 languages across India.

Census and Language Classification

• Languages/mother tongues with 10,000 or more speakers are presented under appropriate language categories in Census publications.
• Those with fewer than 10,000 speakers are generally clubbed under 'Others'.
• India has 22 Scheduled Languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Census classification: 121 languages – 22 Scheduled and 99 non-Scheduled (as stated in the article).

Additional Prelims Facts

• Eighth Schedule: Originally included 14 languages; currently recognises 22 languages.
• UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger: Classifies endangered languages according to levels of endangerment, from vulnerable to extinct.