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A Sociolinguistic Study of Kochila Tharu in Southeast Nepal

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A Sociolinguistic Study of Kochila Tharu in Southeast Nepal DigitalResources Electronic Survey Report 2020-005 A Sociolinguistic Study of Kochila Tharu in Southeast Nepal Stephanie R. Eichentopf and Jessica R. Mitchell A Sociolinguistic Study of Kochila Tharu in Southeast Nepal Stephanie R. Eichentopf and Jessica R. Mitchell SIL International® 2020 SIL Electronic Survey Report 2020-005, June 2020 ©2020 SIL International® All rights reserved Data and materials collected by researchers in an era before documentation of permission was standardized may be included in this publication. SIL makes diligent efforts to identify and acknowledge sources and to obtain appropriate permissions wherever possible, acting in good faith and on the best information available at the time of publication. Abstract This report presents the results of sociolinguistic research conducted among Kochila Tharu [thq] communities in Southeast Nepal. The following topics were studied in order to inform any future language-based development activities: identifying major varieties of Kochila Tharu, assessing intelligibility and attitudes between the varieties, and determining the vitality of the language. Based on the findings of this research, it is our recommendation that future language-based development activities could take place in any of the varieties of Kochila Tharu and could be usable and acceptable to all other varieties. This study also shows that Kochila Tharu language vitality is high. सारांश यस प्र�तवेदनमा द��ण–पूव� नेपालको को�चला था셁 समदायह셂माु संचा�लत सामा�जक–भा�षक अनसꅍधानमाु प्रा� कु राह셂 प्रततु गिरएका छन् । भ�व�यमा गिरने भाषामा आधािरत कु नै प�न �वकास �क्रयाकलापह셂का ला�ग जानकारी �दन भनेर �न륍न शीष셍कह셂मा अ鵍ययन गिरएको �थयो: को�चला था셁का प्रमखु �क�समह셂 प�हचान गन�, ती �क�समह셂को बोधग륍यता तथा प्रव��ह셂ृ जा楍नेँ तथा भाषाको सजीवता बारे �नण셍य गन� । यस अनसꅍधानमाु प्रा� कु राह셂को आधारमा, हामी यो �सफािरश गछ� �क भ�व�यमा गिरने भाषामा आधािरत �वकास �क्रयाकलापह셂 कु नै प�न �क�समको को�चला था셁मा हनु स啍छ र अꅍय कु नै प�न �क�समकाह셂को ला�ग प्रयोग गन셍 यो嵍य तथा वीकाय셍 हनेछु । यस अ鵍ययनले को�चला था셁 भाषाको सजीवता उ� छ भ�े त镍य देखाउँछ । Contents Tables Maps 1 Introduction 1.1 Geography 1.2 The Tharu peoples 1.2.1 History 1.2.2 Culture 1.3 Language 1.4 Previous research 2 Purpose and goals 3 Methodology 3.1 Instruments 3.1.1 Participatory methods: Dialect mapping 3.1.2 Wordlists 3.1.3 Recorded text test (RTT) 3.1.4 Knowledgeable insider interview (KII) 3.1.5 Informal interviews 3.2 Site selection 3.3 Subject selection 4 Location of speakers 5 Intelligibility 5.1 Dialect mapping results 5.2 Lexical similarity 5.3 Intelligibility testing results 5.4 Post-RTT questions 5.5 Intelligibility summary 6 Attitudes 6.1 Post-RTT questions 6.2 Contact and attitudes 6.3 Attitudes summary 7 Language vitality 7.1 Domains of language use 7.2 Intergenerational transfer 7.3 Extent of reading and writing 7.4 Contextual factors 7.5 Desires for development 7.6 Language vitality summary 8 Summary of findings and implications for language-based development 8.1 Location of speakers 8.2 Intelligibility 8.3 Attitudes 8.4 Language vitality 8.5 Overall recommendations 9 अनुसꅍधानबाट प्रा� कु र ा ह 셂 क ो सारांश तथा भाषामा आधािरत �वकासका ला�ग सुझावह셂 Appendix A: Wordlists Appendix B: Recorded Text Testing Appendix C: Informal Interviews Appendix D: Knowledgeable Insider Interview Appendix E: Dialect Mapping Participatory Method Appendix F: Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale References iii Tables Table 1. Sample size for informal interviews in each site by age and gender Table 2. Reported (Participatory Tools) and Census populations of Kochila Tharu speakers by district Table 3. Lexical similarity percentages matrix Table 4. RTT results Table 5. Relationship between test averages and standard deviation Table 6. Self-reported intelligibility after hearing eastern RTT Table 7. Positive responses to if RTT stories contained “pure” Kochila Tharu Table 8. Reported contact between speakers of various Kochila Tharu varieties Table 9. Responses regarding degree of difference between varieties Table 10. Reported language use among children Maps Map 1. Map of Nepal Map 2. Reported varieties of Kochila Tharu iv 1 Introduction The purpose of this survey is to develop a preliminary sociolinguistic profile for Kochila Tharu [thq] through four activities: identifying major varieties, investigating intelligibility between those varieties, assessing the attitudes of speakers toward each variety, and gauging the vitality level of the language. Through this research we hope to inform future language-based development activities, should the Kochila Tharu communities wish to pursue them. The meaning of the term Tharu should be clarified at the beginning of this report. In published articles and books, the term Tharu sometimes refers to all types of Tharu people living along the Nepal–India border, including among others Chitwan Tharu, Rana Tharu, Dangaura Tharu, and Kochila Tharu. However, sometimes the unmodified term refers to a specific Tharu group. For the purposes of this report, the term Tharu will be used only when discussing all Tharu people groups within the Nepal Terai as a whole. This report is not addressing Tharu people located in India and therefore they will be excluded from the term Tharu in this report. This sociolinguistic survey of Kochila Tharu was conducted in partnership with the Linguistic Survey of Nepal (LinSuN), Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal. The data collection portion of this survey was carried out in February, March, and April of 2013 in Bara, Rautahat, Siraha, Saptari, and Morang districts of Nepal. 1.1 Geography At the time of the writing of this report, Nepal was divided into 14 administrative zones and subdivided into 75 districts. The districts where Kochila Tharu people live are shown in map 1. From west to east are Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusa, Siraha, Udayapur, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa. Excluding Udayapur district, all lie on the Nepal–India border. 1 2 Map 1. Map of Nepal Map adapted by Janel Swenson from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nepal_zones- noname.svg, created by summitraj and RaviC. Accessed December 15, 2014. Used with permission. Nepal also has three geographical regions which are not defined by political borders within the country. Each of these regions run west–east. The Himal region, with its name meaning “mountain,” is located in the northern-most areas of Nepal. The Pahad, meaning “hill,” makes up the middle region of the country; this region also includes the Kathmandu Valley. The Terai region in the south of the country shares its border with India. The Terai includes the lowest elevation areas of Nepal. 1.2 The Tharu peoples The Tharu ethnic identity comprises many separate groups that vary in culture and language. Politically, the term Tharu refers to a large minority group that spans the entire Terai. In actuality many ethnic and language groups fall under the umbrella term Tharu. “Outsiders generally view the Tharu as one homogeneous group…The Tharu, however, recognize many different subgroups distinguished by clan, region, cultural differences, and language” (Webster 2017:5). “Among the more recognized groups are the Rana, Dangaura, Kochila/Morangia, Chitwania, and Kathariya” (Boehm 1997:19). Many of these Tharu groups recognize differences within their own group based on unique cultural practices. The 2011 Nepal census reports Tharu as the fourth most populous ethnic group with 1,737,470 reported Tharu people. This number, however, is not further broken down by specific ethnic varieties of Tharu. This survey focuses specifically on Kochila Tharu speakers. 1.2.1 History Little research has been published regarding the history of the Kochila Tharu. On this topic van Driem says, “The Kosila Tharu of the eastern Terai were historically under influence of the Brahminical and Vaisnava culture of the Mithila kingdom” (2001:1167). Regarding the origin of their language name, Krauskopff says, “The ethnonym Koshila or Kuchila could be related to the name of the river Koshi on the bank of which they used to live” (1995:190). 3 She goes on to say that it can be presumed “that people called Tharu have been living in the eastern Terai for at least a millennium” (1995:190, 191). 1.2.2 Culture Kochila Tharu culture is unique from that of their other Tharu neighbors. Boehm says they are distinguishable by dress, customs, and language (1997:19). Krauskopff agrees by saying, “Published and unpublished studies show a striking diversity from one group to another, in social organisation, rituals and religious practices, village and domestic organisation, mythology and festivals” (1995:191, 192). While on fieldwork in the Kochila Tharu areas, we noticed some differences in housing and clothing types. The scope of our research did not allow for investigation into the details of these differences. However, it should be noted that slight variations in these cultural markers may be an indication of historical differences between different groups within Kochila Tharu. Regarding religious practices, many Tharu people claim to be Hindu (Boehm 1997:27). However, “most Tharu practice an indigenous form of animism, in which shamanism, ancestor worship and tattooing play pivotal roles. This older religion has been overlaid with a veneer of Buddhism and has been influenced by Hinduism” (van Driem 2001:1167). As with cultural practices, religious practices differ from one Tharu group to another. “Ritual organisation (specifically, priesthood) also differs greatly from one group to another and even from one sub-group to another.
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