Language in South Asia

Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 3/27/2008
EAN 9780521781411, ISBN10: 0521781418

Hardcover, 632 pages, 22.9 x 15.5 x 4.3 cm
Language: English

South Asia is a rich and fascinating linguistic area, its many hundreds of languages from four major language families representing the distinctions of caste, class, profession, religion, and region. This comprehensive new volume presents an overview of the language situation in this vast subcontinent in a linguistic, historical and sociolinguistic context. An invaluable resource, it comprises authoritative contributions from leading international scholars within the fields of South Asian language and linguistics, historical linguistics, cultural studies and area studies. Topics covered include the ongoing linguistic processes, controversies, and implications of language modernization; the functions of South Asian languages within the legal system, media, cinema, and religion; language conflicts and politics, and Sanskrit and its long traditions of study and teaching. Language in South Asia is an accessible interdisciplinary book for students and scholars in sociolinguistics, multilingualism, language planning and South Asian studies.

Introduction
Languages, contexts and constructs Braj B. Kachru
Part I. Language History, Families and Typology
1. Language in historical context Ronald E. Asher
2. Typological characteristics of South Asian languages Karumuri V. Subbarao
Part II. Languages and their Functions
3. Hindi, Urdu, Hindustani Yamuna Kachru
4. Persian in South Asia S. A. H. Abidi and Ravinder Gargesh
5. Major regional languages Tej K. Bhatia
6. Minority languages and their status Rakesh M. Bhatt and Ahmar Mahboob
7. Tribal languages Anvita Abbi
Part III. Sanskrit and Traditions of Language Study
8. Sanskrit in the South Asian sociolinguistics Madhav Deshpande
9. Traditions of language study Ashok Aklujkar
Part IV. Multilingualism, Contact and Convergence
10. Contexts of multilingualism E. Annamalai
11. Language contact and convergence S.N. Sridhar
12. Pidgins, creoles and bazaar Hindi Ian Smith
Part V. Orality, Literacy, and Writing Systems
13. Orality and literacy Rama Kant Agnihotri
14. Writing systems Peter Daniels
Part VI. Language, State and Education
15. Language politics and conflicts Robert L. King
Part VII. Language Standardization and Modernization
16. Language modernization S. N. Sridhar
Part VIII. Language and Discourse
17. Language in social and ethnic interaction Yamuna Kachru
18. Language and the legal system Vijay Bhatia and Rajesh Sharma
19. Language in media and advertising Tej K. Bhatia and Robert Baumgardner
20. Language in cinema Wimal Dissanayake
21. Language of religion Rajeshwari Pandharipande
Part IX. Language and Identity
22. Language and gender Tamara Valentine
23. Dalit literature, language, and identity Eleanor Zelliot
24. Language and youth culture Rukmini Bhaya Nair
Part X. Languages in Diaspora
25. Languages in diaspora Rajend Meshtrie
26. South Asian diaspora in Europe and the US Kamal K. Sridhar.