January – December 2016, Vol. 18, No. 1
THE ORIGIN OF THE PUNJABI LANGUAGE: AR TIC LE ITS PROGRESS AND EXPANSION
Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD ABSTRACT Institute for Understanding Sikhism The theory that the Punjabi language is one of the Laval, Quebec, H7W 5L9 branches of ‘Apabrahmsa’ (vernacular language) being Email: [email protected] derived from the so-called ‘Prakrit’, which was derived from ‘Sanskrit’, has been widely accepted by Sikh theo- INTRODUCTION logians, linguists and historians. This status of the Pun- jabi language as Apabrahmsa, makes the Sikhs and Currently, the Punjabi language is not considered to be others to avoid writing and speaking in Punjabi. This one of the ancient languages of India. Sikh theologians, paper will disprove the above theory by discussing the researchers, and historians go back only to the e of historical background of the development of the ‘Indo- Sufi Sheikh Farid of 12 th century, whose verses (bani), European Languages’, especially in the area currently wri en in Punjabi, have been incor orated into the Aad called the Punjab. The language which developed in the Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS) [1]. Nevertheless, according Punjab after the arrival of the Aryans from 4,000 to 1,000 BCE is called ‘Proto-Indo-Aryan language’. In this to the wintessen al website, the Punjabi language is paper, Proto-Indo-Aryan language is called ‘Proto- considered to be an ancient language. The exact date Punjabi’ since it developed in the Punjab. When Proto- when it started cannot be es ated but the ancestors of Indo-Aryan or just Proto-Punjabi was used to write the the Punjabis have been known to have inhabited the sacred granths of Jainism and Buddhism it was called Indus Valley as far back as 2,500 BCE [2]. ‘Pali’ by the Buddhists. However, the same ‘Proto- Punjabi’ was named ‘Punjabi’ around 500 CE by the Persians and was used by the Sufi Sheikh Farid to dis- It is invariably understood that the Persians na ed the seminate his message to the people of Punjab - the land land of five rivers as ‘Punjab’ and the eo le of this land of five rivers, during the 12 th century CE. Subsequently, were na ed ‘Punjabi’ and their language was also almost all Bhagats of India, Guru Nanak and Sikh Gu- na ed ‘Punjabi’ [3]. Darius (521 BCE), Seleucus / rus, who succeeded to the ‘House of Nanak’, used that Seleucid (305 BCE), ushan (145 BCE), anishka (78 CE) ‘Punjabi language’ to write their verses (bani). fro Persia ruled the Punjab [4] but when the Persians na ed the land of five rivers as ‘Punjab’ is not known. However, this sa e land of five rivers was also called by This paper was prepared for the World Punjabi Sammelan another na e, Penta ota ia, by the Greeks during their to be held at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering kingdo around 100 BCE, because of the five rivers that ran College Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab on February 5-6, 2016 through it [5]. by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Am- ritsar. It was postponed second time and was announced On the other hand, the rotagonists of ‘Sanskrit’ have to be held on June 26-27, 2016. It was again postponed ublished large a ounts of literature to convince linguists third time to be held positively on September 25-26, 2016 that ‘ Sanskrit ’ is the oldest language of India (and as such is at Anadpur Sahib. Originally this conference was to be Mother of all Indian languages), to the extent the clai is held on October 23-24, 2015. Keeping in view the uncer- ade that even Greek, a n, etc. also originated fro tainty this paper is being reproduced in the Understanding Sanskrit. So e call it the language of God. In this Sikhism: The Research Journal for the readers interested ro aganda the na e of the language develo ed by the to know about the origin of Punjabi language and its use Aryans, who started to se le in resent day Punjab fro in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib . 4,000 to 1,000 BCE [ ], is lost in an uity. Si ilarly, in the
IUSCANADA.COM page 11 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal context of this debate, the arrival of ‘Apabrahmsa’ – the corrupt or non- The so-called Prakrit con nued to the Aryans in India, has also become standardi ed language. The irony is develop on its own un l 000 CE, a controversial debate [7]. that the Sanskrit propagandists having progressed under the completely kept the linguists of influence of different regions of India The Sikh linguists, theologians and India in the dark about the real and assumed various names; Magdhi, historians accept that the Punjabi name of language developed in the Shourshani and Maharashtri were the language belongs to ‘Apabhramsa’ (a land of five rivers, the Punjab. major languages. vernacular language: the everyday language spoken by a people as In fact the language of the Rig eda, Concept of Sikh Scholars dis nguished from their literary wri en around ,500 BCE, was not It appears that in Sikhism Prof Sahib language.) derived from the so-called “ edic Prakrit” nor “Old Sanskrit” Singh [9] was the first Sikh theologian ‘Prakrit’, which was derived from but the spoken language of the to discuss the origin of the languages ‘Sanskrit’. Punjab developed on the arrival of of India in 9 9: the Indo-Aryans and there was no • He said that the language of the Now the ues on to be resolved is: word, “Prakrit” or “Sanskrit” at that eda is called “Old Sanskrit”; this What was that language, which was me. The word “Sanskrit” was implies that the language in India developed a er the arrival of Aryans coined by Panini around 400 BCE started as Sanskrit right from the in the Punjab? when he arranged the spoken beginning. language of the Punjab people • He further said that the scholars of HISTORICAL BACKGROUND under ,995 rules of grammar. The edic me called it “ irst Prakrit”; The Concept of the Protagonists of spoken language of the people was however, the word, Prakrit, is not Sanskrit named “Prakrit”. Therea er, all the found in the edas. The general concept established by edas, which were wri en in so- • He says that by the me of Ashoka the protagonists of Sanskrit is as called “Prakrit”, were translated the Great ( 04-2 2 BCE) this follows: into “Sanskrit”. Sanskrit remained language was called “Second the language of the few elite but Prakrit” or “Pali” in which the Around 400 BCE, Panini [8], a the so-called Prakrit con nued to sacred granths of Buddhism were grammarian from Shalatula near progress and remained the spoken wri en. But he failed to men on A ock, now in Pakistan, synthesi ed language of the people. As the so- that Mahavira (599-527 BCE) and a new language from the language called Prakrit moved towards other Gautama Buddha (56 -480 BCE) spoken by the people of the land of regions of India where it changed a appeared before Ashoka and they seven rivers from Sindh to Sarswa lot and started to be called by used the spoken language (not so- then called Septa Sindhvaha (Septa different names according to the called Prakrit) of the people for Sindhu) [ ]. A er giving it a region or a er the name of group of spreading their messages. The gramma cal form he named it peoples. These different languages irony is that Padam has not given ‘Sanskrit ’. The language spoken by were denigrated by the protagonists any name to the language spoken the people at that me was termed of Sanskrit by labelling them as by the people before and during ‘Prakrit’ which means without “Apabrahmsa”, the vernacular or the edic me. grammar, vernacular and vulgar. languages of ignorant people. • Prof Sahib Singh con nued to write Although the edas were wri en in that during the me of “Second the so-called Prakrit, Sanskrit Sanskrit never became the spoken Prakrit” other languages appeared: propagandists started to call that language of the people of the Magdhi, Shourshani and language of the edas ‘ edic Punjab and rest of India, Around Maharashtri. But the protagonists’ Sanskrit’ or ‘Old Sanskrit’ and the 500 BCE Mahavira and the Buddha of Sanskrit named such languages language which was put into a were using the spoken language of “Apabrahmsa” - denigrated definite grammar rule was named people, so-called Prakrit. The languages. ‘Classical Sanskrit’. On the other hand Buddhists called this language • Prof Sahib Singh did not men on the language spoken by the people, “Pali”. the me of the origin of the ‘Prakrit’, was further downgraded by Punjabi language in his study of the modern scholars who named it grammar of the languages used in page 12 IUSCANADA.COM January – December 2016, Vol. 18, No. 1
the Aad Guru Granth Sahib. Mahatma Buddha ( 63-383) a new informa on about the origin of the • Many linguists fell into the trap of language developed which was Pun abi language. However they the protagonists of Sanskrit and called “Pali”. It is guessed that Pali have iden ed a large number of accepted their term “Parkrit” for was constructed around 77 BCE by Indian languages belonging to the natural language spoken by the the scholars of Buddhism. “Modern Indo Aryan languages” and people and the other term herea er their sacred granths the Pun abi is one of them. “Apabrahmsa” for the various were wri en in Pali the spoken dialects of natural languages language of Pun ab people but not It appears that up to 20 the old spoken by the people in different in Sanskrit the language of concept propagated by protagonists regions of India. Brahmans (p 7). of Sanskrit prevailed among Sikh scholars. I frankly admit here that I In years a er Prof Sahib Padam had extensively dealt with am unaware of the existence of any Singh’s work of 3 Principal Satbir the importance of so-called Prakrit work regarding the origin of Pun abi Singh Padam [ 0] wrote an extensive by poets who preferred to write in language done by the Pun abi study of the origin of these Prakrit rather than Sanskrit since University Pa ala or any other languages. He refuted many of the their work in Prakrit was easily university in the Pun ab or elsewhere claims of the protagonists of Sanskrit. understood by the people. which contradicts the above concept Nevertheless he recognized the of the protagonists of Sanskrit. I am explana on of irst and Second While many scholars treat con dent that much new informa on Prakrit and about the Apabrahmsa as Apabrahmsa as Prakrit but Padam about the origin of Pun abi language reported by Prof Sahib Singh. refused to accept this concept. He will be reported in this World Pun abi However Padam had placed the was of the opinion that Aparahmsa anguage Conference. origin of Pun abi anguage at a me a new language appeared from somewhere between these two Prakirt. Here again he is on the Concepts of Non-Sikh Scholars languages: Shourshani and Peshachi. same bandwagon of Sanskrit According to ao [ 3] because of the (p 86) protagonists (p 62). He also accepts tall claims of the Brahmans Sanskrit the system of languages irst became the “Mother of all anguages Principal Satbir Singh Padam [ 0] Prakirt Sanskrit Second Prakirt and in India” (Mother Sanskrit heory – condemned the views of some Apabahmsa similar to that of Prof MS ) so much so that they also Western scholars who were of the Sahib Singh. claimed that Greek a n and other opinion that Sanskrit is an ar cial world languages were derived from language constructed by About 8 years a er Prof Sahib Sanskrit. ao further expressed his grammarians (p ). It appears that Singh Dr Harkirat Singh [ ] of opinion about the Europeans scholars he is one of protagonists of Sanskrit. Pun abi University Pa ala was s ll as follows: Besides broadly speaking in the same accep ng the old concept of Prof “All these Brahmin fantasies were sense about the concept of Indian Sahib Singh regarding Vedic eagerly copied down by their languages he has a number of Sanskrit Pali Sanskrit and European collaborators, who placed references which go against that Apabrahmsa. He had also accepted these absurdi es in academic garb. general concept about Sanskrit. that Pun abi Sindhi Gu ra Max Mueller and William Jones were Marathi Hindi Bihari Orya Bangali only the pioneers in this movement, On page # he reported the opinion Assami etc had originated from which, whilst displaying a superficial of Mahavir Parshad Dewedi that Apabrahmsa around 000 BCE. novelty in Europe, were in fact based Sanskrit is a reformed form of Prakrit on uranic no ons. Virtually all the spoken language of the Pun abi More recently a er 7 years efforts of the European colonialists people. Dewedi was also of the Harinder Singh et al [ 2] a group of towards studying India were devoted opinion that Sanskrit was used by the the Sikh esearch Ins tute USA towards studying Brahmanism; non- elites of society but the so-called have come up with almost the same ans rit civili a ons were given Prakrit was also developing among concept as that of Prof Sahib Singh scarcely any a en on .” the people of the Pun ab. During the about the development of Indian Despite this the Brahmans con nued me of Mahavira ( - 27 BCE) and languages without providing any to propagate that Sanskrit somehow
IUSCANADA.COM page 13 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal developed into Prakrit, Punjab people today is the result of “Proto-Punjabi”. simultaneously developing into Pali. a con nuous development of the Prakrit then somehow gave birth to a language from the me of the arrival Link of the Punjabi Language new language called Apabrahmsa. of the Aryans (during 4,000-1,000 with Central Asia BCE). When the Aryans of Central The Punjabi language has very strong However, Rao [13] has disproved this Asia came to Punjab they brought rela onship with the language of concept of the Mother Sanskrit their language with them, which had Central Asia. For example, the word Theory (MST) that Sanskrit did not been influenced by Persian, because ‘Darya ’, used for two rivers ‘ A u exist prior to 500 BCE because of the the Aryans, who came to the Punjab, Darya ’ and ‘ Syr Darya ’ in Central Asia, following facts: had come through Persia (Iran) a er is also used for all the ve rivers of 1. The word ‘Sanskrit’ does not occur se ling there for some me. Their the Punjab, e.g. Sutlej Darya, Beas anywhere in the Vedas. language contained dialects of the Darya, Ravi Darya, Chenab Darya, and 2. Vedic language was referred to as old Indo-Aryan language [10, 14-17] Jhelum Darya. This suggests that ‘Chandasa’ even by Panini himself. but the protagonists of Sanskrit ‘Darya ’ is the word of the language of 3. Buddhists were advised to translate named it Apabrahmsa (vernacular) the people of Central Asia (the the Buddha’s teaching in Chandasa [17]. However, these languages had Aryans) who were ruling Central Asia, (now called Sanskrit). But they the phone c and morphological Iran (Persia), Afghanistan, Punjab, refused and used the spoken system analogous to that observed Rajasthan, later becoming a word in language of people called ‘Prakrit’. in such languages as Greek, a n, the Punjabi language. Although, in The word ‘Sanskrit’ does not exist Cel c, etc. Sanskrit these rivers were named: in Buddhist texts nor was known to Sindhu for Sindh, very similar to the the people of Buddha’s me. Padam [10] had recorded the Punjabi name; Vitasta for Jehlum; 4. The rst inscrip ons in Indian following statement of Suni Kumar Asikni for Chenab; Parusni for Ravi; history are in so-called Prakrit Cha erji from his book, Indo Aryan Vipas for Beas; Sutudri for Sutlej; (spoken language of the people) and Hindi , which is worth these names are quite unfamiliar to but not in Sanskrit and that too, in considera on by the Sikh the people of the Punjab and in its Brahmi script (not in Devnagri - the researchers (p 51): history. script of Sanskrit) during Mauryan The s rea o linguis c in uence King Ashoka (273- 232 BC). And two has owed in India generally ro et us look into a treaty between the inscrip ons were in Kharoshtri. he Wes , ro Punjab, he oun ain- Hi tes and the Mitanni (between 5. The rst Sanskrit inscrip on head o Aryan in uence and Suppiluliuma and Ma wa a 13 0 appeared in 150 CE during the me expansion in India, o he Eas , and BCE) in which the dei es Mi ra, of Saka Mahakshatropa Rudraman he pre-do inance is par ly Varuna, Indra and Nasa ya (Ashvins) at Junagarh in Gujrat. radi onal, par ly due o energy o are invoked. Kikkuli’s horse training 6. According to the Mother Sanskrit he Punjab People.” (Page 115) text includes technical terms such as Theory (MST) Apabrahamsa is a The most outstanding informa on aika (eka , one), era ( ri , three), deriva ve of Prakrit but according available from this short statement panza (pancha , ve), sa a (sap a , to Rao, Apabrahmsa is not a of Suni Kumar Cha erji is that it seven), na (nava , nine), var ana deriva ve of Prakrit but actually a was the Punjab, the West, where (round) [1 ]. These dei es and contemporary with the so-called the today’s Indian languages numerals also became the part of the Prakrit. developed and spread towards East, religion of people of Punjab since the 7. Some scholars hold that more than and rest of India. In other words it Hi tes Mitanni kingdom included 50 % of the vocabulary of Sanskrit is was that language which is called Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Dravidian and of foreign origin. Rao Punjabi today but was named Afghanistan, Rajasthan, Punjab, and said that 70 % is non-Vedic (40 % is Prakrit, Pali and Apabrahmsa by the Jammu and Kashmir. Dravidian and 30 % is Prakrit); only protagonists of Sanskrit. Therefore, 30 % is old Indo-Aryan. this Punjabi, which was spoken by Many Punjabi words resemble very the people of Punjab, should have closely with French words also, e. g. The point I would like to make here is been called “Archaic Punjabi” or ‘deux’ ( du - Two), ‘trois’ (troi – three), that the language spoken by the ‘cinq’ (panj – ve), ‘sept’ ( sa - seven), page 14 IUSCANADA.COM January – December 2016, Vol. 18, No. 1
‘nauf’ ( nao - nine), ‘dix ( das - ten); from Central Asia. Nanak (1469-1539 CE), the language ‘savon’ ( sabon – soap, V and B are Some Aryans belonging to tribes or used by the Sufis and Bhagats from interchangeable in Punjabi); ‘Qu est families like Bains, Dhillon (Dillon), various parts of India was very similar tu ?’ in French is pronounced the Gill, Kang, Mann (Maan), Roy, etc. to that used by Guru Nanak. This same way ,’ ਕੀ ਏ ਤੂ ?’ (Ki ai tu ) and moved to the Punjab and some language was named ‘Sant Bhasha’ members of the same families by some linguists; in fact it should has same meaning , Who are you? , as moved to Europe and from there have been named ‘Punjabi’ instead in Punjabi. they further moved to the New since the Sufis and the Bhagats used World – North America. Now in the language which was spoken by In Punjabi the style of respec ully North America and UK such names, the people of Punjab. About 1,900 speaking to elders and speaking like Bains, Dhillon (Dillon), Gill, Kang, years ago the scholars of Jainism and formally is also similar to French, e. g. Mann (Maan), Roy, etc. are very Buddhism never used Sanskrit to ‘vous’ (you) in French and tusin ( you) common in some families of preach their doctrine. They used the for respec ul or formal speech and Europeans and Sikhs. This certainly language spoken by the people, ‘tu ’ (you) in French and tu (you) for indicates that these people have ‘Proto-Punjabi’, but this language was informal speech. The use of the common roots in Central Asia. named as ‘ Prakrit ’ by Panini and was adjec ve a er the noun in the old called ‘Pali’ by Buddhists. Punjabi ( Gur Purae ki Bani… AGGS p DEVELOPMENT AND 616 – Bani of Guru complete…) and EXPANSION OF THE PUNJABI Pei [16] has men oned that Prakrit also as Mata Shri (Mother Shri) in the LANGUAGE flourished between 300 BCE and TV Ramayan Series, etc. was very It has already been discussed that 1 00 CE., con nuing to absorb new similar to the grammar of French. around 400 BCE, Panini (450-350 words, terminology and phrases from owever, during the Rama me BCE), a Punjabi grammarian of Persian, Arabic, English, French, Sanskrit was not spoken by the Shaltula near A ock (now in Greek, La n, etc. and finally a aining people. The change of the verb form Pakistan) [8], synthesized Sanskrit or its present form. Prakrit should be with the change of gender and from Perfect Language ( Sans + Krita called Proto-Punjabi because it was singular form to plural form is means adorned, cul vated, developed and spoken in the area common in the both Punjabi and perfected), from the local spoken that is now called Punjab. During the French. The coun ng system is also language of the Punjab. At the same 3rd century BCE, the Buddhist canon the same in French and old Punjabi. me he named the spoken language was wri en in the same language, i.e. For example, the number ‘80’ is (Old Indo-European Language) of Proto-Punjabi (so-called Prakrit) that pronounced as ‘quatre-vingts’ (four- the people of the Punjab Prakrit was spoken during that me in the twenty), similarly in Old Punjabi ‘80’ (means not adorned or arranged) Punjab where Buddhism flourished. is pronounced as ‘ char-vian’ (four- [10, 14, 16, 17]. owever, Prakrit, so Since the Buddhist canon was known twenty). -named by Panini, con nued to be as Pali canon, therefore, its language spoken by the people of the Punjab was also called Pali [10]. The Pali is in Now this asks the ques on why is and underwent many stages of fact Prakrit (Proto-Punjabi) which there so much similarity in the development. Therefore, the meaning ‘in line’, ਪਾਲ ( pal ) in Punjabi system of numerals and the style of language spoken by the people of or series in English, since the the French language with that of the the Punjab during the me 4,000 to Buddhist canons are in series. Punjabi language? It indicates that 1,000 BCE should have been named some Aryans (Caucasians) from ‘Archaic Punjabi’ or ‘Proto-Punjabi’. Without taking into account the Central Asia moved to the Punjab Therea er, The Dravidians, Aryans, history of the languages of the while others moved to Europe Greeks, La n, French, Persians, Punjab, many scholars erroneously (France) and those who moved to the Afghans, Arabs, and Kushans further link the origin of Punjabi from Punjab brought such words and strengthened this ‘Proto-Punjabi’, Sanskrit. The comparison of some numerals with them. which became ‘Punjabi language’ of words of Punjabi with Prakrit, Pali today’s Punjab. and Sanskrit [10] indicates that it was Let us look into another aspect of the closer to these ancient languages movement of Aryans (Caucasians) About three centuries before Guru
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(Prakrit and Pali) from which Sanskrit Importance of Understanding language like Chinese. This fact was was evolved. It means Panini of Proto-Punjabi men oned by Baily in the synthesized Sanskrit from Proto- The current and modern Punjabi is Introduc on to an English-Punjabi Punjabi (which was named Prakrit by quite different than that used by dic onary com iled in the early art him). In other words Punjabi gave Indian Sufis, Bhagats, uru Nanak of the twen eth century. Puri further birth to Sanskrit. The newly and the other Sikh urus, who said that, amazingly, no serious synthesized language was adorned succeeded to the House of Nanak, in research has been done on the origin with 3,995 rules, becoming so their bani (verses). Therefore, it is of the Punjabi language, nor the difficult that it remained the language very im ortant for the Sikhs reasons why it is mul -tonal. Perha s of some elites (the Brahmans ) only researchers to study seriously the the origins of mul -tonal Punjabi lie and the common eo le con nued to origin of the Punjabi language and in the first and second century AD, s eak the original language, Proto- its dialects, right from the me during the Kushan rule of the Punjabi, which was called Prakrit by around 4,000 to 1,000 BCE a er the territory known as the Punjab, with Panini. arrival of Aryans in the area the their ca ital at Purush ura, now Punjab. Unfortunately the Peshawar. Expansion of the Punjabi rotagonists of Sanskrit called that Language language Prakrit or Old Sanskrit The Kushans were art of the Yueh- When the Proto-Punjabi (Prakrit) while these words were not found in chi grou of tribes from somewhere moved away from the Punjab, it that language ll the me of Panini in central China. Some of these underwent great dialec cal changes when he synthesized a new moved westward to Central Asia, towards the West it became Lahndhi, language, Sanskrit, around 400 BCE. coming down to Afghanistan and the Sindhi, Multan; in the hilly areas of Hence, that language should have Punjab. Much of eastern Afghanistan the North it became Dogri; towards been called as Archaic Punjabi or and almost the en re Punjab acted as West-South it became Haryanvi, Proto-Punjabi. Proto-Punjabi was the hub of their em ire when they ajasthani, Marathi, ujra ; towards that language, which was s oken by went further afield, and remained the East it became Braj (Hindi), Bengali, the eo le of the residents of the hub when their em ire shrank. The Assamese, and so on. However, the Punjab and develo ed from 4,000 to Kushan kingdom included arts of language of the Punjab remained 400 BCE before the name, Prakrit, China, ussia, Euro e, Middle East, Punjabi. Therefore, the roots of these was a lied by Panini. Punjab, ajasthan, UP, and central languages are in Proto-Punjabi India [20]. There is sco e for serious develo ed in the Punjab. It has been no ced that a research on the subject. transla on and or inter reta on of Nevertheless, the languages of urbani into English and other It is evident from the above Southern India have originated from languages can differ from scholar to informa on that there is a strong a source (Dravidian) other than Indo- scholar. The rimary reason for this influence of the languages of Central Euro ean or Indo-Aryan or Proto- inconsistency is the incom lete Asia, Euro e (including French) and Punjabi (Prakrit) or Sanskrit. understanding of the old Punjabi to some extent of Chinese on the language of the urus’ eriod. To develo ment of Punjabi. During the It is worth no ng that the edas were inter ret urbani in its authen c Kushan me the Saka Calendar was wri en in Proto-Punjabi (Prakrit), the ers ec ve, it is very im ortant to used. This Calendar was introduced same is true about Brahmans, understand Proto-Punjabi of that as the na onal Calendar by the U anishads and some sutras. All me. Calendar eform Commi ee in 195 these great religious works were later for the government of India. But the translated into Sanskrit from 200 BCE Research on the Punjabi Bikrami calendar, which is named for onward. This is su orted by the fact Language ikramadita, remains o ular with that Sanskrit was synthesized around It was Puri [19] who told the the religious eo le of Hinduism. 400 BCE by Panini and these great audience of the Interna onal works were wri en before 400 BCE Punjabi Conference held during when there was no Sanskrit [10, 14- January 2003 that according to T. 16]. rahame Bailey, Punjabi is a tonal page 16 IUSCANADA.COM January – December 2016, Vol. 18, No. 1
THE PUNJABI: A Natural songs are based on the tunes of languages. Language Punjabi songs with some Punjabi The resent day Punjabi has its roots words to make them hit songs. The Future of Punjabi in the Indo-Aryan languages and Indo Moreover, the Indian youth Nevertheless, a UNESCO re ort on -Euro ean languages. It would be belonging to Aryan origin, in ‘Language itality and Endangerment’ more a ro riate to call the ar cular Sikh youth, of the West is worth examining to redict the language, s oken by the eo le of will start dancing at the first beat of future of Punjabi [22] the Punjab from around 2,500 BCE to the drum with a Punjabi song even if • A language is in danger when its 400 CE, as Proto-Punjabi. In s ite of they have some roblem s eakers cease to use it, use it in an the fact that it never received any understanding it ro erly. increasingly reduced number of financial su ort for its develo ment communica ve domains, and cease from any overnment during the last The survival of Punjabi for more to ass it on from one genera on to 4,000 years it con nued to develo than 4,000 years is a ributed to its the next. That is, there are no new further to become a favorite en rely natural and innate s eakers, adults or children. language of the Punjab eo le. In characteris cs described above that • About 90% of the languages of the fact, at resent very li le is being make Punjabi to be called a natural world are being re laced by s ent by the Punjab government for language. dominant languages. its develo ment and it is almost • Language endangerment may be neglected in the adjoining states of FUTURE OF PUNJABI the result of external forces such as Punjab and by the central Is Punjabi An Endangered military, economic, religious, government of India. Language? cultural, or educa onal subjuga on, Dhaliwal [21] re orted that Kuldi or it may be caused by internal Because of its inherited Nayar, a noted journalist, was forces, such as a community’s characteris cs of smoothness in flow, invited by the Punjabi Bachao nega ve a tude towards its own being leasing to the ears and the Manch seeking his hel to save language. Internal ressures o en ease of ex ressing one’s views Punjabi in Chandigarh, ca ital of have their source in external ones, ( hiloso hy), Proto-Punjabi (Prakrit ) Punjab, a state carved out on the and both halt the intergenera onal was acce ted as the language to basis of the Punjabi language. Nayer transmission of linguis c and disseminate Jainism and Buddhism said cultural tradi ons. Many indigenous under the name Pali. Although this “I have gone through a report eo les, associa ng their language was called Punjabi by prepared by UNESCO which says the disadvantaged social osi on with Persians since 500 CE, it became well Punjabi language will disappear their culture, have come to believe established as a s oken language of from the world in 50 years. It that their languages are not worth the Punjab by the me of Baba shocked me. I am out to save retaining. They abandon their Shiekh Farid, a Persian Sufi, during Punjabi language and culture. ” languages and cultures in ho es of 12 th century CE. Therea er, almost all overcoming discrimina on, to the Bhagats of India used Punjabi It is very strange that Kuldi Nayar, secure a livelihood, and enhance during the Bhaga Movement to would say that he has gone through social mobility, or to assimilate to s read their messages; and then by the re ort re ared by UNESCO the global market lace. (This is all the Sikh urus to s read their bani whereas there is nothing men oned what is ha ening in Punjab now.) ( hiloso hy) to the eo le of South- about the disa earance of Punjabi • aising awareness about language East Asia. in that re ort. However, there are loss and language diversity will only many languages, which are s oken be successful when meaningful This language a ears to be easily only by few thousands of eo le contem orary roles for minority acce table and understandable by mostly in the Assam, Bihar and hilly languages can be established, for almost all eo le of Aryan origin. It is areas of Himalaya, have been the requirements of modern life evident from the resent trend in the named as endangered languages. within the community as well as in Indian movies that no movie is a hit But no language from the Punjab or na onal and interna onal contexts. unless it has a Bhangra dance and a any other state of India has been Meaningful contem orary roles Punjabi song and even some Hindi men oned in this list of endangered include the use of these languages
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in everyday life, commerce, ere elec ed o e Parliamen in and a of e con em orarie of ed ca on, ri n , e ar , and or Oc o er, 201 [23]. Ho ever, one r Nanak clearly indica e a e media. conomic and oli cal m nder and a ere are only P nja i a oken and ri en in or y o local comm ni e o official lan a e of Canada: e Nor e , Cen ral and a ern and na onal overnmen are n li and renc [2 ]. ar of India exce e So ern needed o e a li c role . No fo r P nja i are in e ar ere lan a e of Dravidian Canadian Ca ine : Harji Sin ori in a common. P nja i i a in ro all e Sajjan, Mini er of Defence; • T e P nja i lan a e i ri en in a e li ed a ove and e n m er Amarjee So i, Mini er of Ara ic or Per ian cri no called of i eaker i decrea in eadily. Infra r c re; Navdee Sin Shamukh i y e M lim in I ill e ro re in o ard Bain , Mini er of Innova on, Paki an and Gurmukhi cri y endan ermen if P nja i i no ed Science and conomic e Sik in e P nja , India, and in everyday life, commerce, Develo men ; and Bardi C a er, o er co n rie . ed ca on, ri n , ar , and or on Mini er of Small B ine and • rm k i cri i very clo e o media and i o economic and To ri m [2 ]. T e e very im or an a of e Takri cri . oli cal or y a e and na onal o i on are in e and of P nja i • Since e lan a e develo ed in overnmen . Canadian for e develo men of e area of 7 or river called Se a Canada and i defence. T i i very -Sind en Pen a o amia and T e ercen a e of P nja i- eakin ood o or ni y for e P nja i erea er P nja o ld e called eo le in Paki an in 1998 a Canadian o o eir “Pro o-P nja i” ra er an .1 . I i o in a con n o con ri on o ard e ermen “Priakri ’ – e name a i ned y decrea e ince 19 1 en i of Canada. [T ey are P nja i Panini d rin 00 BC . ercen a e a 7.08 . T e rend i Canadian of P nja i ori in?] • T ere i rea need for e imilar in India. T e ercen a e of e a li men of a re earc P nja i- eakin eo le in India in CONCLUSIONS in e o di cover e roo of 2001 a 2.83 . I i al o o in a • T e ori in of P nja i can e P nja i and o nd i ro er con n o decrea e ince 1981 raced ack o e me of e o i on in e Indo- ro ean en i a 2.9 . arrival of e Aryan o ro lan a e and for i develo men eir lan a e, no called Indo- o e in ec nolo y and cience. T e P nja i lan a e, e Indo- ro ean ince i develo men ro ean lan a e, i a e1 ar ed from Cen ral A ia and e ACKNOWLEDGMENTS o i on amon e r 30 lan a e adjoinin area in aro nd 000 T e a or i ra ef l o Mr Je e of orld, ic i oken y 103 BC . T a i lon efore Panini Sc ell of Ne Zealand for revie in million eo le of India and Paki an ( 0-3 0 BC ) en e i a er and for i e on o [23]. yn e ized San kri from e im rove i re en a on and makin lan a e oken y e eo le of i nder anda le y n li a ill e o i on of P nja i e e P nja (Se a Sind eaker . amon e orld lan a e in Pen a o amia). ano er 0 year ? I i very diffic l • T e yn e ized lan a e a REFERENCES o redic . named a Sanskrit and e 1. A S, Aad Guru Granth Sahib . mo er lan a e a ermed a 1983, S iromani rd ara Punjabi in Canada Prakrit . Par and ak Commi ee). (M T ere are ro ly 0,000 P nja i • T i Prakrit ecame Pali d rin Ma la, i.e., cce ion n m er of eaker in Canada. P nja i i e me of e B dd a and e Sik r o e Ho e of already e ird mo oken ecame P nja i en e Nanak, M i re laced i e lan a e in Canada; i a al o Per ian ar ed o e le name of B a a B a for eir ecome e ird mo common ermanen ly in e P nja . Bani, Pa e of e A S: lan a e, a er n li and renc , in • T e com ari on of e lan a e Amri ar, P nja , India. e Canadian Ho e of Common ed y e S and e B a a 2. The Punjabi Language . [In erne ]; a er 20 P nja i- eakin candida e of e me efore r Nanak Availa le from: : page 18 IUSCANADA.COM January – December 2016, Vol. 18, No. 1
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