LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 18:2 February 2018
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
         Dr. S. Chelliah, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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History, Identity and Language: Tenyidie and
Its Widespread Networks

Riku Khutso, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Scholar

Abstract

Historically, the Tenyimia is a group of Naga tribes which trace common ancestry. According to the oral sources, these people basically dispersed from two villages known as Maikhel (Mekhrore) and Khezhakenoma to different parts of the present-day Nagaland, Manipur and Assam. Their claim of common descent is endorsed by shared memories and conjoined geographical spaces besides the close linguistic lineage that is found among the varied dialects. However, before the colonial and American missionary experience, this kinship relationship was limited by historical factors and Tenyimia as a socio-cultural and political entity was not as defined as in the contemporary times and neither was there a common language called Tenyidie.

It is in this context that the influence of western cultural traditions since the nineteenth century made a durable impression on the socio-cultural and political processes of the Tenyimia people across vast geographical spaces. As a result, Tenyidie language, which is basically a language adapted from various dialects by the American Missionaries became standardized among the Tenyimia people over time.

In this paper, one of the main objectives is to see how a literate tradition has been fostered and embraced across dialectal and geographical spaces. To understand this phenomenon, the paper would try to locate the nature and interplay of history, identity and language in reinforcing historical consciousness and creating new sensibilities.

Keywords: Tenyidie, Tenyimia, Collective Self, Common Consciousness, Historical Communities, Kinship, Linguistic Processes, Linguistic Conception, Linguistic Lineage, Linguistic Chauvinism, Lived experiences, Pervasive Spectrum, Shared Memories, Sacred Reverence.

Introduction

The discourse on identity formations is often vague and inconclusive. One of the reasons for such a phenomenon is because identities are all rooted to individuated contexts and cultural conditions. In this way, the definition on identity becomes as diverse as the innumerable individual cultures. Here, the paper would like to delve into a specific cultural identity and locate how experiences of divergent phases of history shapes identity (re) formations.

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

Riku Khutso, M.A., M. Phil.
Ph.D. Scholar, Department of History
University of Hyderabad

C/O Department of History
University of Hyderabad
Gachibowli – 500046
Telangana
India
rikukhutso@gmail.com

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