From: [email protected] To: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/a-language-lost-in-race-for-future/99 Mix of Portuguese and Marathi getting discarded by younger generations. While the elders in Korlai speak ‘Kristi’, the younger generation speaks the language with a liberal influence of Marathi. (Express photo) Ignatius Pereira greets guests and neighbours at a wedding, addressing them in a language that he knows is slipping away from his coastal town. “Cómo está? (how are you?)” he says to his guests. The language spoken in Korlai, 135 kilometres from Mumbai, is Portuguese, which is closely related to Spanish, woven with Marathi. Five steps away, his granddaughter Sweety Penha playing with a guest’s daughter, asks her, “Won nomki? (What’s your name?)”. Her grandfather looks at her, disapprovingly. She speaks a form of the creole, the mixture of languages, that is losing Portuguese roots. There is an increasing influence of Marathi. Another reason the language, called Kristi, the elders spoke in the coastal town is fading away is the need to learn English and Marathi for the younger generations to widen employment avenues. When the Portuguese shifted to Goa in the 18th century, they left behind their imprint on the language of this coastal town. RelatedNurture my tongue: A linguist’s quest to preserve an endangered languageNot just a Maharashtrian,am as much a Gujarati,Punjabi: PatekarRaj men 'fight' for Marathi,send own kids to English schools The language developed until 1964 as Portuguese-speaking parish priests celebrated mass for Korlai villagers, according to J Clancy Clements, author of ‘The Genesis of a Language: The formation and development of Korlai Portuguese’. Elders of the Christian families here speak the language. It has no written script, says Fleur D’Souza, associate professor and head of the history department at St Xavier’s College. “After 1964, Marathi became the language of the erstwhile Latin/Portuguese Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.” Clements wrote the language made its presence felt during weddings. While the mass is entirely in Marathi, the ‘Gloria’ is sung in Kristi by the elders. There is increasing influence of Marathi. “Aajubaju ka language mix ho gaya,” says Perriera, who retired as a labour contractor in Roha a few years ago. “This is the fourth or fifth generation and they are enamoured of English and are only taught Marathi in schools. First, we spoke pure Portuguese, now we speak a mixture and the young ones are moving towards Marathi. We may soon lose the language,” he says.At home, Penha talks to her family in Kristi, but quickly switches to Marathi with friends. “Others do not understand the language, so it is easier to speak in Marathi. We don’t even know the songs our grandparents sing during special mass,” she adds. The Maharashtrian influence, Pereira says, is seen in several pre-wedding functions, too. The architecture of most houses in the village present a typical Maharashtrian style, adds D’Souza. Serving the parish of 1,000-plus Christians speaking a distinct language, Fr Edward Jacinto can only catch a smattering of their conversation. “With no script, it is difficult to pick up the language. There is little interest among youngsters as well. It hampers their English and Marathi as they speak only Kristi at home and mix up the pronunciation,” he says. Tata Consultancy Services had begun a course to teach Portuguese to the youth, but diminishing interest and few takers forced the course to be cut short, Fr Jacinto says. “When locals go out of Korlai for work, unlike other migrants, their language is forgotten for lack of speakers,” he adds. “This is happening with a lot of languages. It is up to the community and how they see progress and growth. In this case, learning Marathi and English seems like a better option. The language is slowly dying,” said D’Souza. [email protected]
