In News:Marathi among 5 languages accorded ‘classical language’ status
What are the criteria for a language to be designated as classical, and how does this designation contribute to India’s linguistic diversity and cultural heritage?
The Indian government has recently conferred classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, increasing the total number of recognized classical languages in India to eleven.
Criteria for classical language status
- High Antiquity: The language should have a recorded history or early texts that extend over a period of 1,500 to 2,000 years.
- Valuable Heritage: There must be a significant body of ancient literature or texts that are valued as part of the cultural heritage by generations of speakers.
- Originality: The literary tradition of the language must be original and not derived from another speech community.
- Distinctness from Modern Forms: There should be a clear distinction between the classical language and its modern forms, indicating potential discontinuity between the classical language and its later versions or offshoots.
Contribution to India’s linguistic diversity and cultural heritage
- Preservation of Heritage: Recognizing classical languages helps safeguard ancient texts and literary traditions for future generations.
- Promotion of Research and Education: Classical language status opens avenues for academic research, leading to the establishment of Centres of Excellence and professional chairs in universities dedicated to these languages. Ex: Centres for Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were established
- Cultural Identity: These languages reinforce cultural identity among their speakers, promoting pride in their linguistic heritage.
- Economic opportunities: The preservation, documentation, and digitisation of ancient texts of these languages will generate jobs in archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media.
- Interconnectedness with Other Cultures: Many classical languages have influenced other regional languages and scripts, contributing to broader cultural exchanges within South Asia and beyond, thus enriching global linguistic diversity.
Classical language designation recognizes historical, cultural, and linguistic significance, and thereby contributing to India’s linguistic diversity and heritage.
Source:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cabinet-classical-language-status-five-languages-marathi-bengali-9602341/
https://www.news18.com/explainers/whats-the-significance-of-classical-languages-in-india-how-marathi-got-the-status-criteria-explained-9073169.html