By Dr. Zawwar Hussain
When a human being steps onto the threshold of awareness, the first stirring within is the desire to communicate inner feelings to others. From this urge emerged sound, from sound came words, and from words arose language. Language is not merely an arrangement of letters and tones; it is the living archive of civilization, consciousness, emotion, and identity. A mother tongue is the first medium through which a child recognizes the world, understands relationships, and learns to articulate the landscapes of the soul. It is the most organic, intimate, and powerful instrument of communication, rightly called the mother of all communication systems.
Yet, despite its centrality to human experience, languages vanish at an alarming rate. Humanity has already lost thousands of tongues. Just as mighty civilizations flourished and faded, so too have their languages slipped into silence. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the language of the Indus Valley civilisation at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Etruscan are no longer spoken, and scholars struggle to reconstruct them from fragments of the past. Linguists estimate that around 7,000 languages are currently spoken across the globe, yet nearly 40 per cent are endangered. Asia alone hosts more than 2,000 languages, making it the most linguistically diverse continent. Pakistan, too, is multilingual, with approximately 74 to 77 languages spoken, many indigenous and ancient, while several are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. UNESCO reports that, on average, one language disappears every two weeks. With each extinction, humanity loses not merely words, but centuries of memory, ecological wisdom, folklore, oral history, and unique ways of interpreting reality.
A conscious nation does not treat language as a mere tool of conversation; it elevates it into an instrument of awakening. Intellectual and moral development are rooted in language, and the mother tongue plays a decisive role in shaping thought. Research in cognitive science and education shows that children who receive early instruction in their native language demonstrate stronger conceptual understanding, improved literacy, and greater academic confidence. UNESCO data indicates that learners taught in their first language are significantly more likely to complete their education successfully than those instructed in unfamiliar tongues. When education, research, and creative expression flourish in the mother tongue, intellectual roots grow deeper, critical thinking sharpens, and cultural self-confidence emerges. It is in this language that dreams are formed, ideologies mature, and the first cries of reform are uttered.
History shows that nations building education and research around their native languages achieve remarkable civilisational heights. Japan, Germany, China, Iran, and numerous other developed and emerging countries have produced vast scientific, technical, and literary capital in their own tongues while preserving national identity. Language is not a relic of the past; it is a pillar of the future. Expanding mother-tongue education safeguards centuries-old literature, preserves scholarly heritage, and maintains cultural continuity. Multilingual education policies, studies by the World Bank and UNESCO suggest, directly enhance social inclusion, economic mobility, and national cohesion.
Language is also the fountainhead of creativity. For artistic and literary expression, the mother tongue is indispensable, its vocabulary absorbed naturally from infancy. Transmission of language carries intergenerational cognitive and cultural imprints, reflecting patterns shaped across generations. Modern neuroscience increasingly confirms that early language exposure influences neural pathways related to emotion, memory, and imagination. When a poet or writer composes in the mother tongue, the fragrance of the soil, the lullabies of mothers, and the pulse of history breathe through every sentence. Subtleties of thought remain intact, and emotions retain their dignity and depth.
Each year on 21 February, the world observes International Mother Language Day, commemorating linguistic diversity and reminding humanity that thousands of languages remain at risk. UNESCO warns that, without urgent measures, many languages may vanish by the century’s end. The loss of a language is not merely cultural; it represents the collapse of an intellectual universe. Traditional medicinal knowledge, environmental understanding, oral epics, and indigenous philosophies often exist only within that linguistic framework.
(The writer is a PhD scholar with a strong research and analytical background and can be reached at editorial@metro-Morning.com)
