When Languages Disappear: The Race to Save Africa’s Heritage
- Trésor Daniel Mefire
- Apr 22
- 6 min read
April 22, 2025
Author: Trésor Daniel MEFIRE,
Country: Cameroon
SUMMARY
Linguistic diversity is collapsing globally, with UNESCO (2023) reporting 2,450 endangered languages and one language disappearing every two weeks. Africa, home to 30% of the world’s languages, faces acute endangerment due to colonial legacies, economic marginalization, and urbanization. Only 4% of African languages are used in formal education (World Bank, 2021), while dominant languages like English and French displace indigenous tongues. Cameroon exemplifies this crisis: its 286 languages (5% of the global total) are sidelined by official bilingualism. Ngwo, Mankon, Nweh, and Ngomba are among the most vulnerable, with urban migration and digital exclusion accelerating their decline.
Preservation strategies include policy reforms (e.g., Rwanda’s mother-tongue education), grassroots efforts (e.g., Kenya’s community documentation), and technological tools (e.g., language apps). As linguist K. David Harrison warns, each lost language represents a "burned library" of cultural and ecological knowledge. Urgent action through education, media representation, and technology is needed to safeguard Africa’s linguistic heritage.
BACKGROUND
When Languages Disappear: The Race to Save Africa’s Heritage
Introduction
Languages are far more than mere tools of communication; they are living repositories of human thought, cultural identity, and ancestral wisdom. Each language encodes a unique worldview, ecological knowledge, and oral traditions that have evolved over millennia. Yet, linguistic diversity is collapsing at an unprecedented rate. According to UNESCO (2023), 2,450 languages are currently endangered, with one language disappearing every two weeks. This phenomenon is particularly acute in Africa, a continent that hosts over 2,000 languages, nearly 30% of the world’s total linguistic diversity (Ethnologue, 2023).
The erosion of African languages is not a natural process but the result of historical oppression, economic marginalization, and policy neglect. Colonialism imposed European languages as markers of prestige and power, while globalization and urbanization continue to accelerate the decline of indigenous tongues. The stakes could not be higher: when a language vanishes, entire systems of knowledge, medicinal practices, environmental stewardship, and cultural narratives are lost forever.
1. Global Language Extinction: A Silent Crisis
1.1. The Scale of the Problem
Of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages, 90% could vanish by the end of this century (National Geographic, 2022). The regions most affected are Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and Melanesia, where small, localized languages have thrived for centuries. Africa alone accounts for 428 critically endangered languages, many of which have fewer than 1,000 speakers remaining (Endangered Languages Project, 2023).
Linguists classify languages as "endangered" when they are no longer being passed down to younger generations. A striking 90% of all languages have fewer than 10,000 speakers, making them highly vulnerable to economic and social pressures (UNESCO, 2023). For example, Aasáx, a language once spoken in Tanzania, was declared extinct in 2015 after its last fluent speaker passed away. Similarly, in Peru, Taushiro now has only one known living speaker, marking the imminent extinction of an entire linguistic lineage.
1.2. The Drivers of Language Loss
The primary forces behind language extinction are economic globalization, colonial legacies, and environmental disruptions.
Economic Globalization and Linguistic Marginalization
The dominance of global languages such as English, French, and Mandarin has created a linguistic hierarchy where indigenous languages are perceived as economically disadvantageous. In Africa, 56% of the population uses ex-colonial languages for professional advancement (Afrobarometer, 2022). For instance, in Nigeria, where over 500 languages coexist, young people increasingly abandon Yoruba and Igbo in favor of English, believing it offers better job prospects.
The Enduring Impact of Colonialism
Colonial powers systematically dismantled indigenous linguistic systems by enforcing European languages in education, governance, and media. Today, only 4% of African languages are used in formal schooling (World Bank, 2021). In Gabon, French remains the sole medium of instruction, even though Baka and other native languages are still spoken in rural communities. This linguistic apartheid perpetuates illiteracy in mother tongues while reinforcing colonial-era power structures.
Urbanization and Ecological Displacement
Rapid urbanization has severed the intergenerational transmission of languages. By 2050, 60% of Africans will live in cities (UN-Habitat), where dominant lingua francas like Swahili and Hausa replace minority languages. Meanwhile, environmental degradation such as deforestation in Burkina Faso due to cotton farming has displaced indigenous communities, further eroding linguistic diversity.
2. Africa’s Linguistic Emergency
2.1. The Colonial Roots of Language Endangerment
Africa’s linguistic crisis cannot be understood without examining the brutal legacy of colonialism. European powers not only imposed their languages but also institutionalized them as markers of civilization and modernity. The consequences are stark: 52 African languages have already gone extinct, while hundreds more cling to survival. The Ajawa language of Nigeria disappeared in the mid-20th century, and Basa-Gumna now has only three elderly speakers. Even in South Africa, where post-apartheid policies promote multilingualism, SiPhuthi (a Bantu language) has fewer than 5,000 speakers due to the dominance of Zulu and English.
2.2. The Case of Cameroon: A Microcosm of Africa’s Crisis
Cameroon, often dubbed "Africa in miniature," exemplifies the continent’s linguistic diversity and vulnerability. With 286 languages, Cameroon accounts for 5% of the world’s languages, yet its population is only 0.02% of the global total (Grimes, 2000). The country’s exoglossic bilingual policy mandates French and English as official languages, sidelining indigenous tongues like Ngwo, Mankon, Nweh, and Ngomba (Njwe, 2023).
• Ngwo: Spoken by 25,000 people, but only 12% (3,000) reside in the village where the language thrives. Urban migration and the dominance of Pidgin English have left Ngwo "definitely endangered" (Njwe, 2023).
• Mankon: Once vibrant with 200,000 speakers, Mankon is now suppressed in urban centers by Pidgin English and French. Children code-switch or avoid it, viewing it as "backward."
• Nweh and Ngomba: While still spoken by majorities, these languages face pressure from French and English in education and media.
Cameroon’s linguistic erosion is exacerbated by rural-urban migration and digital exclusion. Only 2% of online content is in indigenous African languages (Internet World Stats, 2023), leaving languages like Ngwo invisible in modern discourse.
2.3. Modern Threats: Economic Inequality and Digital Exclusion
Economic marginalization exacerbates language loss. In Ethiopia, the Ongota language is down to 12 speakers after dam projects forced relocations (BBC, 2022). Similarly, Cameroon’s urban centers prioritize French and English, leaving rural languages like Nweh vulnerable.
The digital revolution has further marginalized African languages. Without representation in technology, these languages face generational extinction.
3. Preservation Strategies
3.1. Policy Interventions
• Rwanda’s Success: Kinyarwanda in schools boosted literacy to 73% (UNICEF, 2022). Cameroon could adopt similar measures.
• Senegal’s Media Incentives: Tax breaks for Wolof-language media spurred 200+ radio programs (DW Africa, 2019).
3.2. Grassroots and Technological Solutions
• Digital Tools: Apps like SpeakYoruba (50,000+ users) could be replicated for Cameroonian languages.
• Community Documentation: Projects like Kenya’s Muthoni Drums Project could preserve Ngwo or Nweh.
3.3. The Role of Global Institutions
UNESCO’s Endangered Language Fund supports documentation, such as South Africa’s Nluu language (five speakers left). Cameroon’s languages urgently need similar attention.
Conclusion
As linguist K. David Harrison warns, “Every language lost is a library burned.” The disappearance of African languages, especially in Cameroon is not inevitable. Saving them requires:
1. Mother-tongue education in schools.
2. Indigenous-language media funding.
3. Technology to make languages accessible.
The fight for linguistic diversity is inseparable from environmental and social justice. If we act now, Africa’s languages and their irreplaceable knowledge can still be saved.
REFERENCES
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