Ancient dialect becomes extinct after death of last speaker

ONE of the world’s oldest dialects, which traces its origins to tens of thousands of years ago, has become extinct after the last person to speak it died on a remote Indian island.

Boa Sr, the 85-year-old last speaker of “Bo”, was the oldest member of the Great Andamanese tribe, said RC Kar, deputy director of Tribal Health in Andaman.

She died last week in Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.