“When a person’s culture is made illegal… it can have deep and damaging effects on their well-being and identity.”
Why Language Loss Hurts More Than Words
By Ukes Baha | 27 January 2023
When individuals or communities are deprived of their oral language, profound harm is done to their cultural identity, cohesion, and heritage. Here are some of the most significant consequences:
Cultural Erosion: Oral languages carry generations of wisdom, stories, and rituals. When they vanish, entire ecosystems of indigenous knowledge and traditional practices can be lost forever.
Disconnection from Ancestral Roots: Language is a vessel of identity. Without it, people may feel alienated from their ancestors, traditions, and collective memory, weakening ties across generations.
Limited Access to Cultural Resources: Many oral languages contain expressions and philosophies untranslatable into dominant languages. Their loss can mean the disappearance of unique worldviews, literature, and sacred knowledge.
Social and Psychological Impact: Language extinction often leads to isolation, lowered self-esteem, and the marginalisation of communities. Pride and belonging give way to shame and silence.
Threat to Linguistic Diversity: Each language is a unique expression of human thought. Its disappearance reduces the richness of global communication and narrows the boundaries of human creativity.
Educational and Economic Disadvantages: Education systems rarely support minority languages, creating barriers to learning. Job opportunities may shrink for those cut off from the dominant linguistic economy.
But there is hope. Revitalisation efforts—led by communities themselves—can revive endangered languages. Intergenerational storytelling, education in native tongues, and language nests can reawaken both voice and identity.