Boa Sr's death extincts Aka-Bo language as Great Andamanese plummet from 5,000 to 52 survivors.
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Boa Sr was last fluent speaker of Aka-Bo. Great Andamanese population fell from 5,000 in 1858 to 52 in 2010. British epidemic devastated Great Andamanese. Japanese occupation hit Andaman Islands during WWII. Indian government forcibly relocated Great Andamanese to Strait Island in 1970s. Boa Sr had no children. No surviving Great Andamanese remember Bo language. Boa Sr spoke Jeru as mother tongue despite Bo heritage. Other Great Andamanese couldn't understand her Bo songs and narratives. Great Andamanese creole mixes ten indigenous languages. Boa Sr survived 2004 tsunami by climbing tree. She was oldest living Great Andamanese at death. Linguists recorded her language before extinction. Her death losses anthropology, linguistics, history, psychology, biology studies.

Aborigines India and Indians Demographics Colonialism Culture Science

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