Language alone protects us from the scariness of things with no names. Language alone is meditation.” Those words, by the late Toni Morrisson, tell us how a language cannot  be  reduced  to  the  words  that  comprise  it  or  to  meanings  supposedly equivalent from one language to another. It is an experience of the world, a symbolic universe containing knowledge, stories, cultures, identities, and ways of seeing, living and feeling.Through the Romani language – “Romani čhib” – all of humankind is offered a living archive  of  a  long  history  of  migration.  Its  17  dialects,  its  33,000  words,  retrace  the  numerous different influences which have shaped it: its roots in Hindi and Sanskrit are complemented by Persian, Armenian and Greek.This  ancient  language,  enriched  by  that  connected  history,  is  now  threatened  with  extinction.  Together  with  the  language,  an  identity,  a  culture  and  a  heritage  rich  in  knowledge and know-how are in jeopardy.The World Day of Romani Language is an opportunity to highlight its wealth and its unique nature, so that it is better understood and protected effectively.This includes its teaching, in particular for Roma children who have it as their mother tongue, because a living language is above all a language that is practised on a daily basis; but it also requires ambitious policies to combat all forms of discrimination and to support the Roma, their fundamental rights, social inclusion and development. Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO,on the occasion of the World Day of Romani Language 5 November

Link: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/romanilanguageday

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