Historical Evolution and Genesis of the Shina Language: A Desk-Based Qualitative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i2.2278Keywords:
Shina Language, Dardic, Indo-Aryan, Language Contact, Language Endangerment, Gilgit-Baltistan, Linguistic Documentation.Abstract
This paper investigates the nature of contact with languages and their final stages in the Shina area of Gilgit-Baltistan, based on existing research in the region. Based on existing research in the region, the paper investigates the nature of contact with languages and the endangerment of languages in Shina area of Gilgit-Baltistan. Two main features make the Shina language one of the most historically important and linguistically complex languages of northern South Asia, namely, her historical continuity, and her wide array of complex linguistic forms and variants. Shina is spoken in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, in the region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in smaller pockets in IJAK and in northeastern Afghanistan and retains vestiges of ancient Indo-Aryan elements, but at the same time has had to adopt elements of continuous contact with Persian, Kashmiri, Pashto, Burushaski, and Urdu. This paper systematically reviews and locates history and origin of Shina from the perspective of basic research that has been done in the area (Leitner (1893), Grierson (1919) to current sociolinguistic studies. Four main currents of influence have been identified from the literature analysis for Shina, which are deep Indo-Aryan roots, isolation, prolonged contact and endangerment due to socio-political dominance of Urdu and English. Finally, the paper reviews existing documentation and the current revitalization efforts undertaken for the language, and stresses the importance of community-based language specific strategies and institutional assistance for the survival of the language.
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