Last of the Bo takes her language to the grave as 65,000-year-old tribe dies out

[FarCenter]

Jeremy Page in Delhi

The last member of a unique tribe that inhabited the Andaman Islands for as long as 65,000 years has died of old age — taking to the grave with her one of the country’s many endangered languages.

Boa Sr, who died last week aged about 85, was the last member of the Bo — one of the ten Great Andamanese tribes that are considered indigenous inhabitants of the islands, which lie 750 miles off the east coast of India.

She was the oldest of all the Great Andamanese tribespeople, who now number only 52 among the archipelago’s total population of about 300,000, the vast majority of whom are recent immigrants from mainland India.

She was also the last speaker of the Bo language, which is distinct from those of the other Great Andamanese tribes, according to Anvita Abbi, a professor of linguistics at Jawaharlal National University in Delhi.

Professor Abbi, who had known Boa since 2005, said that she had been losing her sight in recent years and was unable to converse with anyone in her own language since the other surviving Bo speaker died several years ago.

“She was the only person left who spoke Bo,” Professor Abbi told The Times. “At times, she felt very isolated and lonely as she had no one to talk to in her own language.” Boa had no children, and her husband died several years ago.

<SNIP>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7015540.ece

[Skink]

1. Bo you don't know Didley.

[gateley]

2. ...

:spank: and :banghead: (because I laughed). I'm ashamed.

[HeresyLives]

3. Well hopefully Professor Abbi had enough sense

to record as much of the language as possible.

[JI7]

4. it says it was an African Language

i wonder if it has relation to any of the currently spoken languages in Africa.

[rockymountaindem]

5. What a terrible shame

There goes a piece of our human heritage :(

[joeybee12]

10. Indeed...makes me...

:cry:

[M155Y_A1CH]

6. Her roots ran so deep

A family group that stayed intact with the same language and lifestyle from that far back, wow.
That's from one of the very first human migrations.
She must have come from hardy stock for them to have made it to those islands so early in the stone age.
I hope they got sound recordings for the future to hear;the article doesn't say.

:kick:



Descendant of great explorers, I honor you.

[omega minimo]

7. Wow. thanks for posting KRec

[HopeHoops]

8. 65,000 years? How can that be when the universe is only 6,000 years old?

:sarcasm:

I think I'll go "rescue" some Hatian "orphans" now.

[surrealAmerican]

9. How incredibly sad it must be ...

... to know you are the last person to speak your language.