LANGUAGE IN INDIA

USE OF THE ROMAN SCRIPT IN INDIA
Renu Gupta, Ph.D.

Abstract

This paper describes domains in India where the Roman script is used to write Indian languages. Although one function is to write languages for which there is no written script, the Roman script has other functions—as an icon and an index (Kurzon, 2003) and for wider communication. This paper explores these functions and describes some domains where the Roman script is used in India.

1. Introduction

Several countries in Asia use two or more scripts for official purposes. In Singapore, for example, public documents and road signs are written in the four official languages using three scripts—Mandarin is written in the Chinese script, Malay and English are in the Roman script, and Tamil is in the Tamil script. However, India is unusual in the sheer number of scripts that are used (Masica, 1996). Within a single country, 11 scripts are used for official documents and for education, with additionalscripts being used for intra-community communication. Although the scripts can be divided into three distinct categories based on Daniels’ (1996) typology – Roman, Perso-Arabic, and Indic—Indians know that these scripts are mutually unintelligible, because each script uses a different set of symbols. This means that a person traveling from one Indian state to another may not be able to read official documents and road signs because the script is unfamiliar.

In order to enable written communication across different regions, a common script has sometimes been proposed (Kasturi and Kasturi, 2004). Devanagari, which is used to write the largest number of Indian languages (Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Nepali, and Konkani) appears to be a likely candidate, but the states in South India rejected the attempt to impose Hindi in the 1960s (Krishna, 1991; Thirumalai, 2005).

This paper examines the use of one script—the Roman script—to write Indian languages. The obvious case is its use to write languages that do not have a script of their own, such as Garo, Khasi, Konkani, and Mizo. In addition, as an associate link language, the English language and script are used in several states in India for official purposes. The paper is organized as follows: first, the difference between languages and scripts is described; the next section describes the use of the Roman script as an icon and index (Kurzon, 2003); the final section describes various domains where the Roman script is used for wider communication in India.

2. Languages and Scripts

The terms ‘language’ and ‘script’ are often used interchangeably, but the link between languages and scripts is relatively weak. For example, in 1928 Turkey replaced the Arabic script, which was used to write Turkish, with the Roman script. Nearer home, Hindi and Urdu are often classified as one language that is written in two different scripts, namely, Devanagari and Perso-Arabic; this is an instance of digraphia (Grivelet, 2001). A single script may be used to write different languages; for example, the Perso-Arabic script is used to write languages as diverse as Urdu, Kashmiri, and Punjabi. And one language may be written in different scripts, as in the case of Konkani which is written in different scripts, such as Kannada, Devanagari, and the Roman script.

A script may also be used for transliteration. In one of his essays, Tharoor (2005) gives the example of an Independence Day speech by the Prime Minister, Deve Gowda. By convention, this speech is delivered in Hindi; however, since Deve Gowda did not know Hindi, the Hindi speech was written in his native Kannada script, so that he could read it out. In this instance, the language is Hindi but the script is Kannada. This is a case of transliteration and not translation, because the speaker did not understand the words he was reading.

3. Script as Icon

Kurzon (2003) draws a distinction between language as an icon and language as index. Often a sign (in the form of a language or a script) may function as an icon of nationalism or religion. However, the choice of language or script can act as an index, by pointing to the social phenomenon behind these languages.

In the example above, Hindi (as a language) is an icon of Indian nationalism. Other examples can be seen in signs for state and government organizations, such as road signs and the names of government institutions. Their iconic function is underscored by the fact that not many Indians can read these signs given the low literacy levels in India.

In several states, road signs are written in the language of the state and the Roman script. The road sign in Figure 1 shows the name of the area written in the Tamil script, followed by the Roman script.

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