A Bird's Eye View of Eco Linguistics and Its Approaches: a Pragmatic
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The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 A Bird’s Eye View of Eco linguistics and its Approaches: A Pragmatic Study Author: G.Keerthana Prasanna M.A.,M.Phil.,SET.,NET., Assistant Professor Department of English Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College (Autonomous) Trichy. (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University) [email protected] Contact No: 9597525960 Abstract: This paper attempts to give brief account of Eco linguistics and its approaches. It also summarizes how language has been used in connection with the ecology. Besides language plays a significant role in aggravating the contemporary social issues particularly ecological issues (global warming, bio diversity loss, etc.) .Eco linguists strive to analyze the discourse and to find the constructive ways to use language towards protection of eco system. They analyze discourse with the aid of ecosophy and find out the underlying story lies in every discourse. Thus they encourage the constructive use of language and resist the destructive stories which lead to the destruction of the eco system. Key Words: Eco linguistics, Ecology, Eco Sophy, Eco System. Volume XI, Issue XII, December/2019 Page No:3467 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 Introduction: Can language diversity be sustained on this earth? Can the resource language be used in a sustainable way? Eco linguistics addresses language loss and language maintenance in the age of globalization and the question of how language construes our view of Nature and Environment-Alwin Fill. Eco linguistics, then, is about critiquing forms of language that contribute to ecological destruction, and aiding in the search for new forms of language that inspire people to protect the natural world.- Arran Stibbe Ecology and Language: “Ecology”, the concept which made Eco linguistics possible was first used by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1866 ,which he defined as follows: “the study of the interrelations between organisms and their living and non-living surroundings – including organisms of the same and of other species.” This was the beginning of an ecological approach to all life phenomena, in which the mutual relations between the different forms of life and between living and non-living entities were studied. Eco linguistics deals with the role of language concerning the environment (in its biological / ecological sense). Eco linguistics deals with the impact of language and discourse in describing, but also aggravating and perhaps alleviating environmental problems. This use of „Eco linguistics‟ is the more modern one subscribed to by the majority of linguists concerned about the environment. The first use of ecology in connection with language occurred in 1964, when Carl F. and F. M. Voegelin, in an article about native American languages, used the term “linguistic ecology” in connection with the languages of a particular area. The Voegelins wrote as: “in linguistic ecology, one begins not with a particular language but with a particular area, not with selective attention to a few languages, but with comprehensive attention to all the languages in the area.” (1964). In August, 1970, Einar Haugen, an American linguist of Norwegian descent, gave a ground- breaking talk about “The Ecology of Language”. Haugen referred to the paper of the Voegelins, but developed his own theory, which is based on his definition of “language ecology” “as the study of interactions between any given language and its environment.” (1972). Volume XI, Issue XII, December/2019 Page No:3468 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 Aim of Eco Linguistics: Michael Halliday‟s paper “New Ways of meaning: The Challenge to Applied Linguistics” has influenced the eco linguists to consider the ecological context of language. According to The International Eco Linguistics Association there are two aims of Eco Linguistics: 1.To develop linguistic theories which see humans as a part of larger eco system and 2.To show how linguistics can be used to address key ecological issues such as climate change, bio diversity loss,etc. Aspects of Eco linguistics: Eco linguistics explores the role of language in the life sustaining interactions of humans, other species and their physical environment. It widens the socio linguistics with its state of the art principles such as TEK.TEK stands for Traditional Ecological Knowledge embedded in local cultures and regional languages . In The Spell of The Sensuous (1992)David Abram says that the wider ecology shapes language in oral cultures and it helps the people to understand the eco system and it teaches them how to live sustainably with the eco system. Ecolinguists attempt to preserve the language diversity since TEK and ecosophy are embedded in local languages. Eco system and Ecosophy: Eco System is a community of living organisms in connection with the non living components of their environment interacting as a system. Ecosophy (ecological philosophy) is introduced by Felix Gittari ,a post structuralist as a philosophy of ecological harmony and it is a monistic approach to ecology. Eco sophy is used as ecological framework by eco linguists to analyse discourse. Treatment of Nature and Ecology in Tamil literature: நற்잿ணை (Natrinai) 172. ힿளபா翁 ஆமா翁 ம் ன் அ폁்鎿 ந்ண் 鏁ந் கா் 믁ளப அளக ம் மத் 鏀் தான் மத்鏁 இணி鏁 பத் ்த ꏁ்뮿ꟁ் 殿ந்鏁 ꏁ்ள ஆ埁் எண் 쟁 அண் ளண 埂잿ணப் ꯁண் ளண鏁 னனண அ் ா迁鏁் ꏁ்மா翁 ளகன Volume XI, Issue XII, December/2019 Page No:3469 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 ힿ쏁்鎿ண் தா ் ힿப ் இளை க翁த்த ன்ꯁி ாண் னகா翁 쯁் இனங்埁 ீ ் ் 鏁ளந மக폁 மகா் க ீ ன் 垿ண் இளநத翁 ீ ன் ꮿநퟁா ் உபன Oh chief of a littoral domain Where in the sweet-watered ford, The right-whorled and white conch-shells Sound sweetly like the Vilari tune* Of the newly arrived musicians. Our mother spoke at length, The greatness of the Punnai tree thus: “My friends and myself, when we were young, Sported in the sandy beach; Then, we forgot altogether of the ripe seed of Punnai, Which we buried in the white sand; Later, it grew into a young plant Which we nurtured with love, Feeding it with ghee and milk! So the Punnai tree is your elder sister, Sweeter far than you yourself!” So chief, we feel embarrassed To sport with you beside it. Should you consent, There are other trees with rich shades Where we can sport! Volume XI, Issue XII, December/2019 Page No:3470 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 These lines from Nattrinai-ancient tamil poem clearly depicts how the indigenous tamil people treated trees as their siblings. The lady love is reluctant to express her love as in Marvell‟s To His Coy Mistress. She says that when she played with her friends she buried the punnai seed playfully and it sprouted. Her mother said that she should treat it as her own sister. Now the tree has grown and the lady love says that she cannot express her love in the presence of her sister( Punnai tree). Modern Tamil Novels: Kurinji Then –埁잿ஞ்殿்னண் ,a novel by Rajam Krishnan showcases the life of Gowders at Ketti in Western Ghats. With the advent of globalization and colonialism, the Ketti people were forced to change rotation of crops to earn more money. They were introduced how to plant tea and coffee. But the protagonist of the novel strongly opposed it by saying that imported crops would give only money but the native crops would give food for life. The imported crops affect the fertility of the soil. The novel also talks about the symbiotic relationship between man and land. Kallikkattu Ithigasam -கப்பிக்காட翁் இ鎿காை் a novel by Vairamuthu depicts the life of farmers in the draught hit village. The protagonist of the novel Peyathevar (னத்ன)் teaches his grandson how to cultivate land and make it fertile to yield more crops-“ள உퟁ ஐாட翁் க்மகளடடா”- The cattles are locked in the infertile land for a few days and it provides the manure for the land to make it fertile. In same way the land needs to be ploughed during the month of mid January-mid February(ள ாை்). He also goes on informing the following generation about the farming techniques (space between each sapling) of various crops such as Paddy, Sugar cane, Banana and Coconut in the novel: “் 翂 மன்쯁 – the space between each paddy crop must allow a crab ினாடக் க쏁்ꯁ- the space between each sugarcane crop must allow a fox ் 羿னாட ாள -the space between each banana sapling must allow a cart னனாட மண் ளண.”- the space between each coconut tree must allow a chariot. -கப்பிக்காட翁் இ鎿காை் As said in afore mentioned lines the space should be adhered to while planting the saplings. The protagonist trains his grandson to practise the saying –மைானளட hoping that this would make him to live sustainably with the ecosystem and to pass on the ecological knowledge to the following generation. Volume XI, Issue XII, December/2019 Page No:3471 The International journal of analytical and experimental modal analysis ISSN NO: 0886-9367 From The Stories We Live by –Arran Stibbe The following quotations and lines have been taken from Stibbe‟s online course “ The Stories We Live By” and interpreted. 1.Japanese Haiku: 何もないが/心安さよ/涼しさよ Owning nothing / such peace / such coolness! (Haiku by Issa) HK2:88 宿の春/何もなきこそ/何もあれ In my hut this spring / There is nothing / There is everything (Haiku by Sodo) HK5:12 The underlying story behind these haiku is nature can provide everything without the need to consume.