Digital vitality assessment: a comparative study of Brajbhasha and Kumaoni

Abstract

Traditional language vitality metrics are insufficient in the digital era, necessitating new ways to measure digital vitality. This study examines Brajbhasha and Kumaoni, two lessresourced Indo-Aryan languages from North India, through the Digital Language Vitality Scale (DLVS) methodology. This study attempts to adapt the DLVS by prioritizing local government/welfare digital services over global platforms. A hybrid methodology – combining community surveys, fieldwork, and objective verification – was utilized to counteract subjective bias and capture functional support. The study validates the utility of the adapted DLVS in understanding how community resilience and collective identity influence digital action, despite technical limitations, and offers actionable insights for future assessments in similar communities worldwide.