Saraiki Ethnic Identity Confronting Ethnolinguistic Vitality Threats From Urdu As Contact Language

Abstract

In the contemporary globalized world, learning more than one language has become one of the basic social requirements. The constant increase in number of bilinguals and multilinguals, is evident for its significance. However, the bilingual or multilingual trends with inclination towards learning prestigious global or contact languages, has abated the worth and use of regional languages (indigenous languages). The situation takes these indigenous languages towards the brink of extinction. The practice also affects the ethnolinguistic identity of regional or native language speaking communities. Saraiki language is one of such regional languages in Pakistan, which is facing the occurrence of “language shift”. This phenomenon is resulting in disputation of the ethnolinguistic identity of Saraiki community. In this regard, present study has taken an initiative to measure “Saraiki ethnolinguistic vitality” from “social-psychological perspective”. Tajfel’s (1974) “Social Identity Theory (SIT)” has been applied to construct theoretical framework, proposed by Phinney (1992). The “Multiple Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM)” has been adapted to obtain responses about the extent of “Saraiki ethnolinguistic vitality”, from young generation of Saraiki community. The participants have responded to MEIM scale, encompassing four main components; “self-identification and ethnicity”, affirmation and belonging”, “ethnic identity achievement” and “ethnic behaviour and practices”. The findings obtained from the descriptive quantitative analysis of MEIM questionnaire, revealed immoderately unfavourable attitude and emotions of Saraiki community members towards their “Saraiki ethnolinguistic identity”. Consequently, the study has found ‘attitudinal and cognitive factors’ to be more dominating to influence “Saraiki ethnolinguistic vitality”. Moreover, these attitudinal factors have been predisposed by socio-economic motivational factors, which are involved in learning of the second language, while limiting the use and worth of indigenous language. In this context, the present study has offered few recommendations. The most significant requirement of making efforts to “reverse Saraiki language shift” by making the youth and parents mindful of the severity of the problem. Government policies and Media intervention can also prove to be of great help in saving languages. Essentially, saving language means saving culture, and by saving language and culture the ethnolinguistic identity will be preserved and saved from extinction.       

Key Words: Multilingual, Contact Languages, Saraiki Regional Language, Ethnolinguistic Identity, Ethnolinguistic Vitality, Language Shift, Language Preferences, Motivational Factors.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17839282