Andaman
Language family: Indo-Pacific
Geographical use: on an island group in the Andaman See (Bengali Gulf)
Information: There are only a few hundred speakers left.
In 2012 a book was published about the language and bird knowledge of the Andamese: Ethno Ornithology: Birds of the Great Andamanese, by Pune-based ornithologist, Satish Pande.
Pande
told the web site aily News and Analysis, “The Great Andamanese
community harmoniously co-existed with nature on a small island for
thousands of years. Sadly, they are on the brink of extinction. Our
analysis of Great Andamanese knowledge about birds indicates that it
correlates remarkably well with our present day ornithological
understanding. The ethno-ornithological classification and modern
zoological taxonomy show high level of correspondence at folk generic
level.”
“Since Great Andamanese were isolated for over 70,000
years from society, we get here a unique opportunity of understanding
how human beings think when isolated from the remaining world,” he
added.
The book presents all the avian families, genera and
species recognised by the Great Andamanese people and the current
conservation status, threats and distribution of avian species, endemic
to the region. Local names of a variety of birds in their language have
been mapped with scientific names for the first time in the
ethno-biological history.
