Language shift: Class 12 Optional English
Language shift means when a group of people slowly stop using their own language and start using a different one. This usually happens over a long time. It is also called language transfer, replacement, or assimilation.
Often, people stop using their own language because they think another language is more important or respected. In Nepal today, some people from indigenous groups no longer speak their mother tongue. They speak only Nepali at home, and their children don’t learn the original language.
Language shift usually happens when the community decides to use a language that gives them more social or economic benefits, or is spoken by more people. If this continues, the original language may disappear completely — this is called language death.