The Linguistic Impact Of Colonization On Indigenous Languages: An Analysis Of English Language In South Asia

Abstract

Linguistic landscapes were deeply colonized languages and, in turn, so influenced indigenous languages as to affect sociolinguistic dynamics in colonized regions. The language of the English emerges as the subject of the current research, which tackles some of the linguistic effects of British colonization in South Asia. In administration, education, legal system, language shift was encouraged, indigenous linguistic homogenization was developed and hybrid linguistic forms were formed. One side of English was a passport for socio-economic advancement; another, it subordinated and created linguistic hierarchies over the indigenous languages. The paper addresses the history of English diffusion in South Asia, contemporary or hegemonic lingua franca status of English, and its implications for the indigenous languages of Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, and others. The indigenous people’s maintenance of linguistic heritage is also analyzed in the paper with its resistance and adaptation measures. Through the findings of this study, postcolonial linguistic theories are critically evaluated with regard to the findings of this study, where the dual use of the English language is explicit as the architect for cultural imperialism, and at the same time, a facilitator for postcolonial South Asia. Finally, this analysis urges the South Asian countries to implement measures for the sustenance of multilingualism, linguistic justice and indigenous language revivification.

Keywords: Colonization, Indigenous languages, English language, South Asia, Linguistic imperialism, Language shift, Postcolonial linguistics, Multilingualism, Language policy, Linguistic diversity