LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 22:12 December 2022
ISSN 1930-2940

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         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
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         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

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The Names of Land, Field, and Soil in Madurai District –
A Linguistic Study

Dr. Subramanian Alagappan, Ph.D.

Abstract

Not only language but perception, categorization, cultivation methods, etc. also differ from region to region. Madurai district farmers have categorized lands and soils as cultivable and non- cultivable. Arable lands are two types: one is dry land and another one is wetland. Non-arable lands are divided into land for residence and land for grazing. Farmers are acquainted with many different types of soils and are able to differentiate muds which are treated as complete synonyms in dictionaries (Subramanian P.R, 1992 and Ramakrishnan S, 2020). The collected data reveals two types of naming systems for the fields: one is for the irrigated lands and another one is for the pieces of wet fields. Irrigation tanks and their irrigated lands share a common name and each wet field has a place name for easy reference and identification. As the land is the main property of the farmers, they are referred to by doublets in casual conversations.

Keywords: Nomenclature - land - field - soil - arable land - mud - irrigation tank - irrigated land - farmer.

1.1. Introduction

Agriculture is the second occupation of mankind after hunter-gatherer style of living in human history (National Geographic Society, 2022). Farmers cultivate crops as an occupation and get their knowledge about soils, rainfall expectations, seasons, crop rotation, pesticides, diseases that affect the crops, weeds and their control, etc. “Knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities around the world developed from experience gained over the centuries and adapted to the local culture and environment, traditional knowledge is transmitted orally from generation to generation. It tends to be collectively owned and takes the form of stories, songs, folklore, proverbs, cultural values, beliefs, rituals, community laws, local language, and agricultural practices, including the development of plant species and animal breeds. Traditional knowledge is mainly of a practical nature, particularly in such fields as agriculture, fisheries, health, horticulture, forestry and environmental management in general” (Traditional Knowledge, UNESCO). This traditional knowledge about crop cultivation is as important as any other professional knowledge of any field. The compositions of soil, climate, irrigation facility, the choice of crop, method of cultivation differ from region to region. Region to region the variety of language, culture, perception, etc. play an important role in naming the agricultural implements, soils, seasons, weeds, etc.

Agriculture is the major and primary occupation of India and Madurai district is not an exception. Madurai district is one of the 38 districts of Tamilnadu. “Most of the areas of Madurai district contain red loam, black soil and clay loam” (District Diagnostic Reports – Vaazhndhu Kaattuvom Project, tnrtp.org, Madurai).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Subramanian Alagappan, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow (ICSSR)
Department of Linguistics
School of Linguistics and Communication
Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamilnadu
India – 625 021
suloog@yahoo.com
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