Language Contact and Change: an Analysis of Heritage Konkani in Kerala

• Reshma JACOB ^[1]
  1. [1] Christ University

     Christ University

     India

     
• Localización: Dialectologia, ISSN-e 2013-2247, Nº. 32, 2024, págs. 117-128
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • This paper analyses the extent of language contact induced change in the sound system of heritage Konkani community of Kerala, India. Heritage Konkanis, belonging to different castes namely Gowda Saraswat Brahmins (GSB), Saraswat non-brahmins, Konkan Sonars, Vaishya Vaniyar and Kudumbi, started migrating to Kerala in the late 13th century. The upper caste GSBs remained as a closed community until 20th century, which helped in the maintenance of their language. Linguistic data for the study was collected from 20 GSB youths of the age group 18-35 using Snowball sampling method. The analysis of the data shows loss of features such as aspiration and nasalization, which are inherent to Konkani. This indicates the vulnerable linguistic situation of the GSB community whose mother tongue exhibits linguistic variations, as a result of prolonged coexistence with the majority language, Malayalam.

• Referencias bibliográficas
  • AITCHISON, J. (2001) Language change: Progress or decay?, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • BENMAMOUN, E., S. MONTRUL & M. POLINSKY (2013) “Heritage languages and their speakers: Opportunities and challenges for linguistics”,...
  • COOK, Vivian (2003) The effects of the second language on the first, Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
  • FERGUSON, Charles (1959) “Diglossia”, Word, 15 (2), 325-340.
  • KLOSS, Heinz (1984) “Umriss eines Forschungsprogrammes zum Thema ‘Sprachentod’”, International Journal of the Sociology of Language 45, 65-76.
  • LABOV, William (1963) “The Social Motivation of a Sound Change”, WORD, 19(3), 273-309, DOI:10.1080/00437956.1963.11659799
  • MALLAYA, N. Purushothama (1994) Saraswats in Kerala History, Cochin: Konkani Bhasha Prachar Sabha, p. 33.
  • MIRANDA, Rocky V. (2003) “Konkani”, in George Cardona & Dhanesh Jain (eds.), The Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Routledge, 729-765.
  • MONTRUL, S. A. (2012) “Is the heritage language like a second language?”, Eurosla Yearbook, 12(1), 1-29.
  • ROBINSON, R. (1993) “Some Neglected Aspects of the Conversion of Goa: A Socio-Historical Perspective”, Sociological Bulletin, 42(1/2), 65-83.
  • SARANGI, A. (2018) “Scripts, regions and states of the Konkani language in independent India”, South Asian History and Culture, 9(1), 47-67.
  • SARDESAI, Madhavi (2004) “Mother Tongue Blues (an essay on Konkani)”, Seminar: The Monthly Symposius: New Delhi, 543, 44-51.
  • SELIGER, Herbert (1996) “Primary language attrition in the context of bilingualism”, in W. Ritchie & T. Bhatia (eds.), Handbook of second...
  • SIEBENHÜTTER, Stefanie (2020) “Language practices and attitudes among young minority language speakers in Thailand”, Journal of Multilingual...
  • THOMASON, S. G. (2001) Language contact, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • VALDÉS, Guadalupe (2000) Introduction. Spanish for Native Speakers, volume I, AATSP Professional Development Series Handbook for teachers...