When languages fade so does the age-old medical knowledge, warns study!

Communities, especially indigenous communities have for years used their surrounding biodiversity to create a “living pharmacy” of their own. The languages used by them act as an Encyclopedia of medical knowledge which the world cannot afford to lose.

According to a study by the University of Zurich, "75 percent of the world’s medicinal plant applications are only known in one language." When these languages are not recorded and passed on from one generation to another, a lot of valuable information gets lost in the process. Sometimes languages are lost and forgotten when the prevalence of one language supersedes another.

It has also been estimated that there are around 7,400 languages in the world today. As per linguists, if these languages are not recorded and passed on then 30 percent of all languages can disappear by the end of the 21st century.

The study also suggests that the extinction of languages and cultural diversity will have a more devastating effect on the field of medicine than biodiversity loss.

In conclusion, for its survival, it is necessary to create a society where threatened languages are taught, used and preserved. These languages need to be documented before they disappear forever!

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