King of Pop Will Live Forever

After the positive changes in my life style with all the early morning rises, nutritious food, yoga and worship, I was feeling rejuvenated like I do in mornings now, and then I got a message from Mrs Mary who lives in Shillong (Meghalaya) and a good friend asking me to switch on my TV and watch any News Channel. I switched on the TV and found out the reason. Michael Jackson, the king of Pop was no more. Times Now Channel was showing ‘Black or White’ which I first watched on Doordarshan when I was schools. I felt sad about him because I belonged to the Break Dance Generation (I was in still schools) and he ruled over our hearts. In fact he was the only icon of Western pop who was hugely popular in Hindi heartland. Jackson was on decline, and may have been haunted by the controversies but he was a Great musician and a marvelous dancer to watch and listen. Michael may not be physically present with us but his music will live for ages in our hearts.

Rest in Peace Michael !

दक्षिण एशिया में भाषाएँ

Daughters of Brahmi Script

लैंग्वेज़ इन साउथ एशिया

संपादक – ब्रज काचरू, यमुना काचरू व एस.एन. श्रीधर

केंब्रिज यूनिवर्सिटी प्रेस, वर्ष 2008, पृष्ठ – 632

दक्षिण एशिया क्षेत्र न सिर्फ एक बड़े बाज़ार के रूप में विकसित हुआ है बल्की एक समृद्ध भाषाई क्षेत्र के रूप में भी इसका नाम सुपरिचित है। दक्षिण एशिया में कुल 5 पाँच भाषा परिवारों की अनेक भाषाऎं एक विशाल जनसमुदाय द्वारा बोली जाती है। इन भाषाओं के माध्यम से ही जाति, वर्ग, व्यवसाय, क्षेत्र और धर्म से जुड़ी अस्मिताओं की पहचान होती है। दक्षिण एशियाई उपमहाद्वीप की इन्हीं विशेषताओं को ध्यान में रखते हुए इस भाषाई क्षेत्र की भाषाई स्थिती पर नए सिरे से प्रकाश डालने का कार्य ’ लैंग्वेज़ इन साउथ एशिया’ ने किया है। संपादित पुस्तक में दक्षिण एशिया की भाषाओं पर भाषावैज्ञानिक, ऎतिहासिक, समाजभाषावैज्ञानिक दृष्टि से जायजा लेने की कोशिश की गई है। पुस्तक कुल दस भागों में विभाजित है जिनमें अंतर्राष्ट्रीय ख्याति प्राप्त विद्वानों द्वारा लिखे गए 25 विभिन्न शोधपरक आलेखों को संग्रहित किया गया है।

दक्षिण एशिया की भाषाओं की क्रियाशील भाषाई प्रक्रियाओं, भाषाई विवादों, भाषा-आधुनिकीकरण के प्रभावों, न्यायिक तंत्र, मीडिया, सिनेमा, धर्म आदि में भाषाओं की भूमिकाओं, भाषाई राजनीति, संस्कृत की शिक्षण परंपरा से लेकर जनजातीय व अल्पसंख्यक समुदायों की भाषाओं पर विस्तार से चर्चा हुई है। दक्षिण एशियाई भाषाओं से जुड़े अंत:विषयात्मक शोध के लिए पुस्तक में पर्याप्त और बहुउपयोगी सामाग्री का संकलन हुआ है। जँहा एक ओर हिंदी की स्थिती पर यमुना काचरू का ’हिंदी-उर्दू-हिंदुस्तानी’ शीर्षक आलेख तो दूसरी ओर जनजातीय भाषाओं पर अन्विता अब्बी का आलेख सुपाठ्य है। करुमुरी वी. सुब्बाराव ने अपने आलेख में दक्षिण एशियाई भाषाओं की प्ररुप-वैज्ञानिक विशिष्टताओं को आरेखित किया है।

भाषा और युवा संस्कृति पर रुक्मिणी भाया नायर का आलेख भी अपनी अलग पहचान बनाता। भाषा-नियोजन, बहुभाषिकता, समाजभाषाविज्ञान और दक्षिण एशियाई अध्ययन के शोधार्थियों के लिए यह पुस्तक निसंदेह बहुउपयोगी व संग्रहणीय साबित होगी।

Daughters of Brahmi courtesy http://www.geocities.com/athens/academy/9594/

Humane face of Language Documentation: A Great Andamanese Experience

Human history is replete with stories of survival and birth of many old and new cultures across the globe. Human migration across the world combined with the emergence of agriculture, the rise of industrialization and colonialism, and later globalization has not only produced the homogenization of cultures across the world but has also resulted in complete or partial endangerment of many lesser known cultures. One of the notable fallouts of this upheaval is the loss of linguistic equilibrium in the world leading to language endangerment and language death (Romaine 2007: 116-117). Death of a language does not only mean that some linguistic resources have ceased to exist but it is the loss of centuries of human knowledge and understanding of the world around us.

In recent times greater public awareness about language endangerment and the urgency to preserve the vanishing voices, has given rise to new and upcoming field of Language Documentation. Himmelman (2006: 1) in simple words defines language documentation as a lasting, multipurpose record of a language. Unlike language description, language documentation not only serves the scientific community but also essentially serves the interests of the speech community. Following on this new approach towards documentation and revitalization of endangered languages, We aimed to document the Great Andamanese language which is spoken by the Great Andamanese people living at Strait Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. To read more click below (PDF)

language-documentation-in-andamans

Angami: the Language of the Enchanting Hills

Angami (known as Angami Naga in linguistics fraternity) is a language spoken by around 132,225 people (2001 Census) primarily in the enchanting Naga Hills of Kohima district of Nagaland state of India. Angami belongs to the Angami-pochuri sub-branch of Tibeto-Burman family of languages. Though Angami has several varieties, principal varieties are Kohima, Khonoma and Chokri (though it has acquired an independent status over time). Kohima variety is the standard language (popularly known as common language among Angamis) which is used in published religious and academic texts. This common language is known as Tenyidie in Angami.

Earliest writings on Angami language dates back to the days of British in India. Captain J. Butter published his ‘Rough notes on the Angami Nagas and their Language’ in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Vol.44 Part 1) in 1875. Later R.B. McCabe wrote his ‘Outline Grammar of the Angami Naga Language’ in the year 1887 basing his analysis on Khonoma, Mozema and Jotsoma varieties. Some other works includes the likes of Rivenburg (1905), Grierson (1903), Supplee (1930), Haralu (1933) and several significant works by American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society in the early 20^th century.

R. Sekhose, probably the first native Angami to write on the language, says –

‘Angami language is a very peculiar language. A word may mean many different things, which can only be distinguished by High and low tones’ (Angami Dictionary with English Equivalent words, 1984). Sekhose has also published significant works such as Angami Idiomatic Expressions (1967) and Angami Naga Folklore (1970).

Angami is written using Roman script together with the conventions adopted by the Angami Language Committee in the year 1939. Tone is not marked in the orthography of Angami.

A brief summary of the linguistic research done on Angami can be cited as follows (in chronological order):

·

Capt. J Butler: Rough notes on the Angami Nagas and their language, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. 44 Part 1, 1875.

R.B. McCabe: Outline Grammar of the Angami Naga Language (with vocabulary and illustrative sentences), Calcutta, 1887.

S.W. Rivenburg: Phrases in English and Angami Naga, Kohima, 1905.

George Abraham Grierson: Linguistic Survey of India, Vol.3 Part 2, Calcutta, 1903.

J.E.T.: A Primer of Angami Naga, Kohima, 1915

J.H. Hutton: The Angami Nagas, London, 1921.

Angami Leshü Keriau, American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society, Kohima, 1923.

G.W. Supplee: Kephrüda Keriau – First Reader in Angami Naga, Kohima, 1930.

Hisale Pienünuo: The First Gate into Angami and English, Kohima, 1931.

Haralu: Angami-English Dictionary Part 1, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol.29, 1933.

Robin Burlings: Angami Naga Phonemics and Word List, Indian Linguistics, Vol. 21, 1960.

G.E. Marrison: The Classification of the Naga Languages of North-East India, Vols 1 & 2, London, 1967.

R. Sekhose Angami: Angami Idiomatic Expressions, Kohima, 1967

R. Sekhose Angami: Angami Naga Folklore, Kohima, 1970

Angami Vyakaran (in Hindi), Nagaland Bhasha Parishad, Kohima, 1970

R. Sekhose Angami: Angami Naga Word Divisions and Spelling, Kohima, 1973

N. Ravindran: Angami Phonetic Reader, CIIL, Mysore, 1974.

R. Sekhose Angami: Angami Dictionary with English Equivalent words, Kohima, 1984.

P.P. Giridhar: Angami Grammar, CIIL, Mysore, 1980.

P.P. Giridhar: Angami-English Dictionary, CIIL, Mysore, 1987.

Ram Kripal Kumar: Hindi-Angami Dwibhashi Kosh (in Hindi), CIH, Agra, 2006.

Angami is not spoken and understood by Angami people only but also by Chakhesang, Zeliang, Pochuri and Rengama people who live in Kohima district. Today Angami Naga is offered as a subject in Nagaland University, Kohima up to the level of Ph.D. Ura Academy is the institution established for the development and propagation of Angami language and is situated in Kohima, Nagaland.

Angami Alphabet Chart:

Angami Alphabet	Phonemic Value	Angami Alphabet	Phonemic Value	Angami Alphabet	Phonemic Value	Angami Alphabet	Phonemic Value	Angami Alphabet	Phonemic Value
ü	ǝ	o	o	ny	ny	b	b	f	f
üi	ǝi	ou	ou	t	t	m	m	v	v
a	a	k	k	th	th	pf	pf	w	w
ai	ai	kh	kh	d	d	bv	bv	wh	wh
i	i	g	g	n	n	y	y	s	s
ie	ie	ng	ng	ts	ts	yh	yh	sh	sh
u	u	c	c	tsh	tsh	r	r	z	z
uo	uo	ch	ch	dz	dz	rh	rh	zh	zh
e	e	j	j	p	p	l	l	h	h
ei	ei	jh	jh	ph	ph	lh	lh

Angami is a sweet language to ears (even though I cannot understand much of it). Especially all the the “Uu”(Exclamation when you see an acquaintance) and ” Hoe” (Yes) expressions. Still you will not regret learning bits and pieces of this quite beautiful and fascinating language of equally endowed and very warm hearted people who live in Naga Hills.

To be continued (I am trying to learn more).

Photo Courtsy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dagmaraka/

Developing Lexical Resources for Varieties of Hindi

Indian linguistic area as envisaged by late Prof MB Emeneau in his seminal paper entitled ‘India as a Linguistic Area’ (1956) is home to a total of 234 mother tongues with over ten thousands speakers (2001 Census) and numerous smaller and lesser known languages belonging to at least five major language families viz the Indo Aryan, Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman, Austro Asiatic and Andamanese spoken by a vast population spread across Indian subcontinent. Not going much deep into the reasons, it is important to mention that the number of mother tongues which are accounted in the census data have seen an increase from 184 in 1991 to 234 in 2001. Notwithstanding the conservative estimate of Ethnologue (2008) that 20 percent of world’s living languages are moribund including the ones spoken in India, this increase in number of mother tongues has shown us the ray of hope by increasingly visible assertion by people to identify with their languages. Surprisingly the situation for Indo Aryan language family with almost 15 languages out of the 22 recognized in the eighth schedule of the constitution of India does not seem to be too well with respect to its smaller and lesser known members. Gradually many of these lesser known languages are losing their speakers in face of bigger and mightier languages and eventually dying an unnatural death resulting in loss of precious bio-cultural knowledge accumulated over many centuries.

One of the measures to counter this unwanted situation is the centuries-old practice of building grammars and dictionaries. It is true that complete language revitalization cannot be achieved by mere preparation of grammars and dictionary. There is lot more which needs to be done in this respect. However it is sure that development of these resources paves the way for wider community involvement and awareness culminating in the preservation of the precious traditional knowledge for future generations. To read more of this article (published by ICFAI books  http://www.iupindia.org/) click below

hindi_varieties_avtans-kumar