Language in Indenture - A Sociolinguistic History of Bhojpuri-Hindi in South Africa

Originally published in 1991. The transplantation of thousands of Indian workers to South Africa under indenture between 1860 and 1911 was a political act with far-reaching consequences for their linguistic traditions. In this book, the history of one of these Indic languages, Bhojpuri, and its adaptations to its new context are traced to the point where a distinct South African Bhojpuri koine (generally known as Hindi) came into being. The roots and subsequent evolution of this language variety, as well as the events contributing to its demise, form the basis of this study. Current patterns of usage by different generations are documented in the form of traditional folk tales, proverbs, riddles and songs, alongside personal interviews. This study offers a partial history of Bhojpuri speakers, who have been otherwise largely silent in the history of colonial Natal.

List of contents

Prologue 1. The Historical Background 2. Dialects in Contact 3. The Socio-Historical Setting of Language Shift 4. Language Contact and Language Change 5. Language Obsolescence. Appendix A: A Skeleton Grammar of Indian Bhojpuri. Appendix B: Samples. Appendix C: Questionnaires

About the author

Rajend Mesthrie

Summary

Originally published in 1991. The transplantation of thousands of Indian workers to South Africa under indenture had far-reaching consequences for their linguistic traditions. This book traces the history of one of these Indic languages, Bhojpuri, and its roots and subsequent evolution and on to the events contributing to its demise.

Product details

• Authors: Rajend Mesthrie, Mesthrie Rajend
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 25.02.2020
• EAN: 9781138352896
• ISBN: 978-1-138-35289-6
• No. of pages: 346
• Series: Routledge Library Editions: Sociolinguistics
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Cultural Studies, Hindi, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / General, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General, Sociolinguistics, Colonialism & imperialism, Southern Africa, Colonialism and imperialism, African History