“Till the arrival of the Portuguese to Govapuri (present-day Old Goa), Konknni was only a spoken language.” With all due respect, this is not correct. We have evidence that Konknni (Konkani) was used in writing before and at the time of the arrival of the Portuguese in Goa. John M. de Figueiredo Sent from my iPhone
> On Oct 28, 2024, at 6:42 AM, Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Konknni Language: Facts Versus Fictions > > Dr. Pratapananda Naik, sj > Loyola Hall, Miramar, Goa > October 27, 2024 > > A surgeon cannot afford to get emotionally involved > while performing a delicate and complicated > operation even of his closest family member. He > has to remain cool and calm and totally rely on his > medical knowledge, competence, skills, and > experience. Same is the case of a linguist while > dealing with sensitive and complex issues related > to his own mother tongue. Keeping in mind this > principle, as a senior Konknni linguist and > researcher, I am expressing the linguistic views on > Konknni language, its dialects, and scripts. At > present, there are more fictions rather than facts > are spoken and written about Konknni scripts. I > will focus only on facts. > > In the past adversaries tried to belittle Konknni saying that > she had no script. Now protagonists create an uproar about > Konknni scripts, dialects, and literature. There is utter > ignorance and confusion among Konknnis, especially among > those who insist on one script for Konknni. It is a high > time we learn from well-known linguists to distinguish > language and script. > > The Central Hindi Directorate of Government of India brought > out an official booklet, written by eminent linguistic > scholars Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterji and others, titled > Devanagari: Development, amplification and standardization. > They give their learned opinion on language, alphabet, and > script. The summary of their book is: > > "Language is something that is intrinsic to > personality. Alphabet has a certain relation to > language and some alphabets express different > speech sounds more adequately than others. Scripts > are an abstraction thrice removed from direct > experience. Any language can be written in any > script, provided the alphabet has the necessary > symbols to represent the speech sounds of that > particular language. If it has not, such sounds > may be added and visual symbols invented or adopted > to represent them. The only basis on which to > prefer a script should therefore be clarity, > legibility, and capacity for easy manual and > mechanical manipulation.” (Almeida 2006:71) > > Speaking, listening, and communication are the essence of a > language. In the evolution of a language, people spoke the > language first. When they felt the need to write it, the > alphabet or script was invented. Hence, writing is one of > the means of recording speech, and script is only a means to > reduce speech to writing. > > Script could be compared to a dress. A lady can wear > trousers and shirt, saree, salwar-kameez, maxi, gown, frock, > etc. according to her choice, culture, status, and > environmental conditions. A lady is far more important than > the dress she chooses to wear. The dress may add beauty but > it does not give dignity and legitimacy to a person. > > In the history of humankind, languages, dialects, > and scripts are used not only for communication but > also for domination, manipulation, suppression, and > oppression of weaker or minority groups. This is > true also for Konknni, its scripts and dialects are > at the crossroads. > > Languages, scripts, and dialects have become emotional and > cultural dimensions of Konknnis (Konknni speakers). Logic and > facts are pushed to the backseat. In Goa, Roman script is > considered as foreign and Devanagari as the 'natural script' > by the protagonists of Devanagari script. This is a false > narrative, because any script is a set of symbols arbitrarily > chosen to represent speech sounds. > > If Devanagari script was created exclusively for Konknni, the > term 'natural script' would have been acceptable. The fact > is that Devanagari was invented for Sanskrit and finally took > the present form in the ninth century. Prior to that, > Sanskrit was written in Brahmi, Kharosthi, Sharada, Grantha, > etc. > > In 1857, when the British established Bombay, Madras, and > Calcutta Universities, after consulting the Sanskrit > scholars, Devanagari script was decided to be the official > script of Sanskrit in Indian universities. By any logic, > Devanagari is not the 'natural script' of Konknni. Kannada > script was invented for the Kannada language, Tamil script > for the Tamil language. Hence the Kannada and Tamil scripts > are the natural scripts for the Kannada and Tamil languages, > respectively. > > At present, Roman, Kannada, and Devanagari scripts are mainly > used for writing Konknni. Of these three, the Roman script > has the oldest tradition in Konknni writing from the 16th century > onwards. Till the arrival of the Portuguese to Govapuri > (present-day Old Goa), Konknni was only a spoken language. > > We have no historical records to prove that it was > used for writing. The Kannada script was > definitely used in Goa to write Marathi and > probably also for Konknni from the 16th century > onwards. A sample of Konknni in Kannada script > (known as Kandavi or Gõykānaḍi) was used for the > prose text of *Flos Sanctorum* (Flowers of the > Saints). It was written by the Portuguese > Franciscan friar Amador de Santa Anna in 1607 in > Goa. This manuscript has 1093 pages of large > format, that converted into normal book would be > over 2000 pages. > > The first definite text of Konknni in Devanagari script is > found in Hendrik van Rheede's 12 volumes *Hortus Malabaricus* > (Garden of Malabar) published in 1678-1693. In it there is a > letter of authentication written in Konknni in Devanagari > script by three Ayurvedic Pandits of Kerala, and the names of > medicinal plants are given in Latin, Malayalam, Arabic, and > Konknni in Devanagari script. Thus, three scripts for > Konknni emerged and are still widely used in writing. > > These three scripts represent three Konknni dialects. Though > they are mutually intelligible, they have their own > uniqueness in vocabulary, pronunciation, syntax, morphology, > and semantics. None of these scripts can adequately > represent the speech sounds of Konknni. For example, in > Devanagari script there are no symbols to represent Konknni > speech sounds /ɛ/, /ɔ/ (popularly called ‘open e and o’ > respectively), /f/, /lh/, /mh/, /nh/, /wh/, affricates /ʦ/ > /ʣ/, and /ʣh/. However, using diacritical marks and with > modified orthography these three scripts can be used to > represent all the speech sounds of Konknni. > > Is it possible to impose one script for Konknni? > The answer is definitely no for various reasons. > For other major languages of India, the majority > speakers of a particular language are found in a > particular state, for example, Marathi in > Maharashtra, Kannada in Karnataka and so on. > Though Konknni is the state language of Goa, only > 30.93% of the total Konknni population is found in Goa! > > Konknni is mainly spread in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, > Kerala, and Gujarat. They use different dialects and > scripts. Since Konknni is not standardized, each group uses > its own dialect for oral communication. Very few groups use > Konknni for written communication. > > Konknnis require Konknni only to maintain their cultural > identity. In this context, Konknni did not succeed to become > the medium of instruction beyond primary school level, as a > common media for communication or to earn one's livelihood > except in Tiatrs (stage performance using Roman script for > texts). > > So far Konknni has survived because it is a spoken language. > The 'one script, one dialect, one community' principle has > not succeeded so far to unite Konknnis and it is unlikely to > succeed in the future. If a group forces this 'unity in > uniformity' principle, Konknnis will survive but Konknni will > perish. > > The protagonists of one script implicitly believe > that Aryans, Brahmins, Sanskrit, and Devanagari > script are inseparable elements of the common > umbilical cord and they are > 'holy/pure/standard/high/best'! What is essential > is to preserve the Konknni language with its > dialects and encourage them as spoken forms. > > When languages like Marathi and Kannada are afraid of losing > out to the onslaught of English, what chance does a small > language like Konknni have to hold its own? At it is, the trend > in Catholic families in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra is to > replace Konknni with English as the first language at home > and while conversing with other Konknnis. For written > communication, English is widely used by the Konknnis. Day > by day, reading in Konknni is diminishing and social > media is gaining prominence. More and more Konknnis > prefer to watch Konknni videos on social media. To watch > videos of different Konknni dialects there is no need for a > script. Thus, to a great extent scripts have become > redundant to video viewers. In the social media, the Roman > script with its variety of orthographies is used for messages > and chatting. Day by day it is becoming the popular script > among Konknnis for various practical reasons. > > It is a historical fact that, by the manipulation of > Devanagari protagonists, in 1981 Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi > accepted Devanagari as the official script of Konknni and the > Language Act 1987 of Goa defined "Konkani language" to mean > Konkani language in Devanagari script. Supporters of the > Roman and Kannada scripts have not opposed Konknni in the > Devanagari script. They demand the official recognition and > justice to their script, dialect, and literature. > > Their main demands are that Sahitya Akademi should officially > accept three major scripts of Konknni and in Goa to include > Roman script in the Language Act, and to introduce Konknni in > Roman script as a language in the education system of Goa > step by step. The supporters of Roman and Kannada scripts > want not just monetary benefits; they demand equal > citizenship rights for their dialects and scripts. They do > not plead for charity but equality, dignity, and justice. > > Because Article 29 of the Constitution of India > says, "Protection of interests of minorities -- (1) > Any section of the citizens residing in the > territory of India or any part thereof having a > distinct language, script or culture of its own > shall have the right to conserve the same," Article > 347 reads "On a demand being made in that behalf > the President may, if he is satisfied that a > substantial proportion of the population of a state > desire the use of any language spoken by them to be > recognized by that state, direct that such language > shall also be officially recognized throughout that > state or any part thereof for such purpose as he > may specify." > > Those who care for Konknni should be open to the ground > reality and not be led by mere theoretical idealism of > language or script chauvinism. In democracy, there will not > be peace and unity as long as injustice prevails and one > group wants to dominate others and suppress their voice. > > Mutual respect, understanding, and 'unity in multiplicity or > diversity' must guide any action. Let these three main > groups, namely, those who use Roman script, Kannada script, > and Devanagari script live with dignity as equal citizens, > maintaining their unique identity and liberty. > > For the survival of Konknni, at present accepting > three scripts formula is the best and realistic > option. When the reading of Konknni in any script > is rapidly diminishing and the use of English is > increasing, it is a futile exercise to impose one > script for all Konknnis. Let Konknnis decide the > choice of one or more of their scripts. According to > a Hasidic saying, "The culture of the heart is > greater than the culture of the mind." Konknni is > primarily a language of the heart. > > Bibliography > > Almeida, Matthew 2005. "Evolution and Modification of the > Roman Script used for Konkani". SÔD TSKK Konknni Research > Bulletin, 9:158-186. > > --- 2006. "Konknni Versus Scripts". SÔD TSKK Konknni > Research Bulletin, 10:71-74. > > Naik, Pratapananda 2012. "Konknni: A Marginalized Language". > SÔD TSKK Konknni Research Bulletin, 16: 25-44. > > --- 2014. “Konknni: A Language at the Crossroads”. In Goa > 2011 Reviewing and Recovering Fifty Years, edited by Savio > Abreu and Rudolf C. Heredia, 103-120. New Delhi: Concept > Publishing Company Pvt. Ltd. > > Goanet Reader is edited and compiled by Frederick Noronha. > Send submissions of informative and interesting Goa-related > articles to [email protected] with ATTN GOANET > READER in the subject line. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAMCR53J5jUZre9LdnkiAXdVHPxKsCT5Zu30PD0GxGA1iL-SEag%40mail.gmail.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/901F8B0C-2BC7-41B6-A884-FDBD74944626%40sbcglobal.net.
