LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:6 June 2014
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.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIAL

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2012
M. S. Thirumalai
Custom Search

Diglossic Situation in Central Punjab:
A Case of Urdu and Punjabi Language

Samar Rukh, M.Phil. Applied Linguistics (Corresponding Author)
Nargis Saleem, M.Phil. Applied Linguistics

Abstract

The present case study is an exploratory study, focusing on the status of Punjabi and Urdu languages in Central Punjab, Pakistan. From sociolinguistics point of view, Pakistan is linguistically a rich region having many languages and language varieties. Bilingualism and diglossia are fascinating phenomena in Pakistan. The present study investigates the diglossic situation in Central Punjab analyzing Urdu and Punjabi and concludes that there is a diglossic situation with respect to Urdu and Punjabi in Central Punjab, Pakistan.

Keywords: diglossia, Urdu, Punjabi

1. Introduction

The present study is concerned with the diglossic situation in Central Punjab, Pakistan taking Urdu as a High variety (H) and Punjabi as a Low variety (L). Urdu enjoys a status of High (H) variety and Punjabi, being Low (L) variety, constantly goes behind the curtain. More prestige is given to Urdu than Punjabi in circumstances of prestige. Most of the Punjabi speakers in Central Punjab have the fear of being labeled as low status social class, and some are of the opinion that Urdu is more likeable and that Urdu speaking is encouraged as compared to Punjabi. Although, Punjabi being the mother tongue, is widely spoken at homes, with friends as vernacular, it has been facing strict limits and specific settings as to where and when it should be used. Electronic Media and Print Media, no doubt, promote Punjabi, but as a whole the proportion of media, which serves Punjabi is very small. There are only three Punjabi channels in Pakistan in comparison to ever-growing Urdu channels. Moreover regular viewers and audience of such channels are also less in number as compared to those of Urdu Channels.

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

Samar Rukh, M.Phil. Applied Linguistics (Corresponding Author)
Visiting Lecturer of Linguistics, Researcher in Language Teaching
Pakistan
Samarrukhq12@gmail.com

Nargis Saleem, M.Phil. Applied Linguistics
Pakistan
Nargissaleem17@gmail.com
Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.