Naga Pidgin: A Sociolinguistic Study of Inter-Lingual Communication Pattern in Nagaland (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Central Institute of Indian Languages was set upon the 17th July, 1969 with a view to assisting and co-ordinating the development of Indian languages. The Institute was charged with the responsibility of serving as a nucleus to bring together all the. research and literary out-put from the various linguistic streams to a common head and narrowing the gap between basic research and developmental research in the fields of languages and linguistics in India.

The Institute and its four Regional Language Centres ‘are thus engaged in research and teaching which lead to the publication of a wide-ranging variety of materials. Preparation of materials designed for teaching /learning at different levels and suited to specific needs is one of the major areas of interest of the Institute. Basic research relating to the acquisition of language and study of language in its manifold psycho-social relations constitute another broad range of its interest. The publications will include materials produced by the members of the staff of the Central Institute of Indian Languages and its Regional Language Centres and associated scholars from Universities and Institutions, both Indian and foreign.

The Naga Pidgin must be viewed in the socio-cultural setting of a tribe-caste continuum, particularly in the sanskritisation, westernisation matrix shaping and reshaping the hierarchical structure of the Indian Society. Nagaland, a small geographical area divided by 23 mutually unintelligible language perforce needs a lingua franca when consolidated as one political unit. When the hilly geographical area was politically and economically inhospitable and its development was tied up with the valley with its caste society, literary languages and cultural traditions allied to the hill, there is no wonder that there would develop a love- hate relation between the two areas. This would explain both the emergence of the pidgin and the reluctance of the hill to accord official recognition to it.

Nagamese’ which is known as ‘broken Assamese’ is obviously based on Assamese. But as a language of communication used by generations of Naga language speakers, it is in fact a creole reflecting creative innovation and can be Considered as language by its own rights without any pejorative implications. The present study is Synchronic in nature. A study of Nagamese in time prospective is yet to be undertaken.

It is expected that this study while meeting the demands of scholars, will help the State Government in evolving a rational policy for language use in education, administration and mass media.

**Contents and Sample Pages**