Orthography Development Underway to Preserve Mey Language in Arunachal Pradesh
First Published: 25th November, 2024 18:37 IST
The project involves the creation of alphabets in Roman script, along with a dictionary and a grammar framework
Shergaon in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district is witnessing a significant cultural effort to preserve the Mey (Sherdukpen) language. A project spearheaded by the All Sherdukpen Blu is underway to develop the language’s orthography, aiming to transform the dialect into a fully functional script.
Former minister and President of All Sherdukpen Blu, D. K. Thongdok, highlighted the urgency of the initiative. “Our dialect is at risk. The younger generation struggles with grammar and fluency in our mother tongue. We must act to ensure its survival,” he said.
The project involves the creation of alphabets in Roman script, along with a dictionary and a grammar framework. Linguist Dr. Bishakha Das from Delhi, who is leading the development, explained, “Once the orthography is complete, Sherdukpen will be introduced as a third language in schools within Sherdukpen-speaking regions.”
Dr. Das, a field linguist and independent researcher, has spent over a month in the region conducting in-depth studies and working closely with the community. She added, “After developing the script, grammar, and dictionary, we aim to produce reading materials. This will make it possible to teach the language in schools.”
Khandu Thungon, the local technical head of the project, informed that a workshop on the initiative has already been conducted with the participation of villagers and community leaders, including General Secretary of All Sherdukpen Blu, P. K. Thungon.
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