Bo: The death of a language

Feb 18, 2025

Anvita Abbi, a dedicated Indian linguist, recounts her poignant journey with Boa Sr., the last speaker of the Bo language. She shares how Boa, isolated from her community, communicated with birds as her ancestors before forming a bond with Anvita. Together, they cherished and documented ancient songs and tales, emphasizing the heartbreaking loss of one of the world's oldest languages. Abbi highlights the cultural impact of this loss and the importance of preserving linguistic diversity for future generations.

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ANECDOTE

Tsunami Delay

Anvita Abbi planned to visit the Andaman Islands in 2004 to study the languages.
A tsunami and earthquake struck, delaying her trip until 2005.

ANECDOTE

Tsunami Survival

The indigenous Andamanese people survived the tsunami by noticing a large wave.
An elder urged them to flee, saving Boa Senior and others.

ANECDOTE

Initial Hesitation

Boa Senior, initially hesitant to speak, lamented forgetting her language.
She was living in a relief camp after the tsunami, making data collection challenging for Anvita.

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In 2010, one of the oldest languages in the world died after the death of its last remaining speaker.

For 40 years, Boa Senior from the Indian Andaman Islands was the only person who spoke the Bo language. She died, aged 85.

Leading up to her death, linguist Professor Anvita Abbi spent years attempting to learn the dying language.

Without family or friends who understood her, Boa took to speaking to birds – she said they were her ancestors. Eventually she opened up to Anvita, singing songs and sharing ancient tales.

Anvita was the first and last person to record Boa’s voice.

She talks to Natasha Fernandes about her death and how it changed a whole way of life.

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(Photo: Boa Senior in a tsunami relief camp in 2005. Credit: Anvita Abbi)