Loss of indigenous languages could erase cultural knowledge – Historian cautions

A historian at the University of Ghana says language is central to the survival of culture and knowledge, warning that Ghana risks losing critical aspects of its identity if indigenous languages disappear.

Kwaku Darko Ankrah, of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, said language goes beyond everyday communication and is the main way communities pass culture, philosophy, and knowledge from one generation to another.

Speaking on the JoyFM Super Morning Show on Tuesday, March 17, Mr Ankrah stressed the need for renewed attention to indigenous languages, especially as some face extinction.

“So, when we talk about language, language itself is part of our culture,” he said. “In anybody’s socialisation process, one of the key tools used to communicate is language.”

He explained that language shapes how people understand their society and organise their lives.

“What you learn about your people, the way they think, the way they go about their things, the way they invent, eat, work and sleep all that cultural formula is articulated through language,” he said.

Mr Ankrah added that language carries intellectual traditions, including proverbs, philosophical ideas, and cultural values that guide behaviour and decision-making.

“When someone speaks and pauses to use certain diplomatic language, he draws on proverbs to resolve issues,” he said.

He further highlighted that language transmits knowledge in science, religion, and economics.

“So language is not just about words. Your ideas, your philosophy, your culture, even scientific knowledge, religious and economic thinking everything we do is embedded within our language,” he said.

The discussion comes amid growing concern about endangered Ghanaian languages. Reports from the Ghana Library Authority in February 2026 indicate that at least 40 languages are on the verge of extinction.

Rapid urbanisation, dominance of Akan (Twi) and English, and a generational shift where children favour English over their mother tongue are driving the decline. Critically endangered languages include Nawuri, Tuwuli, and Chala, while the Dump language has already disappeared.

The conversation was sparked in part by a past report from The Economist about an elderly woman who was the last speaker of her language in North America, a case often cited in debates about language extinction.

Mr Ankrah said Ghana must act now to preserve its languages, particularly during Ghana Month, to ensure future generations inherit their cultural and intellectual heritage..

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