Language Varies from one place to another

Water differs from place to another, so does a language all over the world. In other words, the way a language is spoken in a particular geographical area is different from the same language at a distance of a few miles. This linguistic difference is quite noticeable if minute attention is paid to understand the subtleties of a language. This is better explained through a Hindi proverb- Kos kos pe paani badle, aath kos pe vaani. For example, the way Hindi is spoken in Delhi is a lot different from how it is articulated in the cow belt- Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Likewise, a noticeable difference is found in the expression and pronunciation of Hindi in West Bengal and Maharashtra and so on. It is not that this is the case with Hindi alone. In England, what English is spoken in its northern region is different from that of the southern part. Moreover, English is said to be a mixture of one thousand languages. It has borrowings even from Hindi. The Dictionary of Oxford testifies the fact. In the UK, a Creole is a language that has developed from a mixture of different languages and has become the main language in a particular place.

Similarly, Pidgin is not anyone’s first language. It is a form of language which speakers of different language use to communicate. The reasons behind such a linguistic difference are many. One of them is the impact of the first language (L1) one has learnt is reflected in another language (L2). Suppose somebody is born in a Maithili speaking family and the child picks up Maithili as L1, the baby is bound to have a natural effect of his L1 on L2.

However, neutralization of accent is possible with a great sense of care and practice. Local twang always prevails upon on the L2. Very similarly, a child born in Haryana will naturally pick up Haryanvi intonation which will influence his yet other languages- be it Hindi or English. The same is the case with Punjab where English becomes Pinglish, a blend of Punjabi and English, and in our neighbouring country China, English becomes Chinglish, an assimilation of the two languages Chinese and English.

In an Indian context, a mélange of Hindi and English is euphemistically or humorously called Hinglish which has, however, gained wide currency in today’s society all across. Change is the only constant thing in this world as Shakespearian English is outmoded and replaced by the new trend. Yesterday’s ‘hath’ of Shakespeare has turned into today’s ‘has’. Nobody has any objection to it.

The range of any given speaker’s repertoire is defined by who he or she is. People from different geographical places speak differently but within their same small community, they might speak differently according to their age, gender, ethnicity and social or educational background. Social settings and educational background play a great role in giving an impression of your linguistic identity.

Through your all perseverance, you can polish up your image. There is nothing wrong to be natural either. But what is wrong with being global? The dialect divides itself into three parts as Lexis (vocabulary), Grammar (structure), and Phonology (pronunciation or accent). The Dialect is called the umbrella, a term for covering a variety of linguistic features, one of which is the accent. India has a concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, meaning the world is the family.

Do not rate yourself low, your roots being from any part of the country. However, it will be smart of you to neutralize your pronunciation so that you can understand and be understood in any part of the world irrespective of the place you originate from. Be proud of yourself and do something as such that the world can feel proud of you.

Moreover, American English at times is very different from British English in terms of phonetic, lexical and grammatical usage. However, a comparative study of the subject makes thing easier and comprehensible to all.

(Dr Birbal Jha is a noted author and the Managing Director of Lingua Multiservices Pvt Ltd.)