LANGUAGE IN INDIA

A Descriptive Analysis of Diminishing Linguistic Taboos in Pakistan

Muhammad Kamal Khan and Azhar Parvaiz

Abstract

Linguistic taboos are the interesting ways of the reflection of social norms and cultural values of a society within its language. The present study analyzes the changing nature of the linguistic taboos of Pakistani society and explores the approaches of the members of society towards these taboos.

Fourteen linguistic taboos were selected for this research and were investigated through data collected from 80 participants of two different age-groups.

The findings based on the blend of qualitative and quantitative data reveal marked differences in the approach of both groups towards these linguistic taboos.

The group of younger generation was found less afraid of the violation of their linguistic taboos showing a clear-cut change in the nature of these linguistic taboos.

The findings were further discussed to assess the claim of the researchers of the present study about the diminishing nature of linguistic taboos and some points for the preservation of these cultural and linguistic values were suggested.

Introduction

At a time when almost all types of taboos are in the process of change in Pakistan, it is very much relevant to re-examine the nature of such taboos, especially the linguistic ones, their origin, and their social and psychological meanings.

Linguistic taboos exist in almost every culture but the approaches of members towards them vary from culture to culture. Haller (1976: 25) states,

Among primitive peoples many words were the exclusive property of the priests or the elders, unpronounceable sometimes even by them, and spoken by outsiders under pain of death.

He further maintained that while in the pre-modern era, before the invention of technological instruments like telephone, radio, and television began to break down linguistic barriers, it was axiomatic that in any long-settled country each social level was certain to develop a way of speaking peculiar to itself. The result of such an attitude was that status dialects as well as geographical dialects came into existence with predictable regularity.

Ultimately the courtly speech inevitably gained in prestige at the expense of all other ways of speaking and often acquired the ambivalence of a taboo object-outsiders simultaneously admiring it and fearing to trespass on it. Such an interesting phenomenon exists almost everywhere in the languages of the world communities.

Taboo is a very strange phenomenon, and the approaches of different groups are sometimes contrary to each other. A taboo which is considered severe by a group of people may be mild for other.

The present study tries to provide a relatively straightforward framework for analyzing the changing nature of linguistic taboos. Taboos are separated on the basis of the laws behind them. People have different approaches towards linguistic taboos on the basis of their source. This study aims to explore the nature of diminishing linguistic taboos in Pakistani society.

Taboos - Three Major Kinds in Pakistani Society

A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) against words, objects, actions, discussions or people that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group, culture or society. Branding the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent. Some taboo activities or customs are prohibited under law and transgressions may lead to severe penalties. Other taboos result in embarrassment, shame and rudeness. Linguistic taboos can be severe, moderate or mild.

There are three major kinds of taboos in Pakistani society. Linguistic taboos, food, and modesty taboos. Language taboos are the prohibitions which forbid misuse of certain sacred or obscene words like discussion or depiction of sex and many others.

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