Lesotho endangered language
In a remote valley of Lesotho, a language once teetering on the brink of extinction is finding new life. SiPhuthi, spoken by only a few thousand people, has been revitalized through a rare partnership between local communities and two dedicated linguists who have spent nearly a decade recording, documenting, and standardizing it. Their work has sparked pride among speakers, helped create an agreed writing system, and even enabled the translation of parts of the Bible into siPhuthi. Grassroots activism has paid off: in August, the language gained official status in Lesotho after decades of campaigning, a historic milestone for the ebaPhuthi people. While dominant languages like Sesotho and Xhosa still pose a threat, the revival of siPhuthi shows how recognition, documentation, and mother-tongue education can help preserve cultural identity.
The Guardian