Vadodara: What language is spoken in Gujarat? One might get a stock reply - Gujarati.But believe it or not, 50 languages are spoken here. And, barring a few that can be counted on fingertips, these are indigenous to Gujarat.The languages have been documented in Gujarat, Diu, Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli volume of the People's Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) initiated by the Bhasha Research and Publication Center (BRPC).The volume will be released by Gujarat governor O P Kohli on Wednesday. The 902 page volume identified 50 languages including 24 spoken in tribal regions, 11 of nomadic communities and five from the coastal region. Gujarat is among six states in the country that have over 40 languages."The PLSI has also left the scholars and researchers concerned as it has come to light that as against 80 languages identified as mother tongues in a 1961 survey, the number of languages has gone down to 50. This implies 30 lan guages disappeared from the state," said chief edi tor of the volume and foun der of BRPC Padma Shri Ga nesh Devy. The volume has been edited by professor Kanji Patel.The survey has also identified a series of languages that are on the verge of extinction. These include languages of the coastal belt like Mangeli and Karwa, tribal languages like Dungri Bhili, Nayki, Kathodi, Kathali and Talaviya Rathod as well as the Sidi language.Devy said that 120 persons were involved in the survey that began in 2010 to identify the languages. "An interesting aspect of the volume is that tribal persons have contributed to 40 of its chapters," said Devy.Devy said that the volume would first be released in Hindi followed by an English translation in September this year. A Hindi volume will be released after about a year.

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