Language Endangerment: A case study of Gawarbati, Kalasha and Yadgha languages of Chitral

Abstract

Chitral valley, located in the country's extreme north, is Pakistan's linguistically diverse region. The half-million population of the valley is divided into 12 language groups belong to different language families. The number of speakers of some of these languages is decreasing. The speakers are shifting to Khowar, the lingua franca of Chitral, and Pashto, another major language spoken in the region. This paper examines the endangered status of the Gawarbati, Yadgha, and Kalasha languages in the valley, as well as the contributing factors to their endangerment. The main causes are intermarriages, lack of writing system; language and education policy, the speaker's attitude towards their mother tongue, contacts and interactions with others; Kalasha religion; the speaker's livelihood; war, and migration. This research employs a mixed-methods methodology for data collection, incorporating case studies as well as information obtained through participant observation, literature review, and informal interviews conducted with the speakers of the languages.