ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the Nepal Bhasa Google Translate project, a collaboration between the Newar community and Google Translate, which aims to add Nepal Bhasa—a critically endangered language—to this global translation platform. With the decline in language fluency among younger generations, the Newar community’s involvement is a strategic measure to combat language loss by developing a robust language corpus in collaboration with global tech firms like Google and reflects an evolving method within the broader initiative to preserve and revitalise minoritised languages. The chapter addresses two main aspects of this preservation effort. First, it examines the collaborative creation of language data in the absence of comprehensive written records. Second, it explores the use of artificial intelligence to “remember” and sustain the language for future generations. This approach challenges conventional views of technology as merely a tool, arguing instead that it can foster new educational models and reimagine Indigenous language futures. The chapter illustrates the interaction between language, technology and language communities, aiming to disrupt established linguistic hierarchies and forge new pathways for cultural preservation and innovation, thereby transforming the role of minoritised languages in the digital era.
