LOCATING ASSAMESE, MEITEILON AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMONG THE DIASPORA MEITEILON SPEAKERS OF ASSAM: A CASE STUDY AT UKHAMATI TARAJAN

Abstract [English]

In the linguistically diverse region of Northeast India, the intersection of cultural identity, social mobility, and economic opportunity is often negotiated through language. The primary objective of this study is to locate the functionality and social attitudes assigned to Meiteilon, Assamese and English within the Meiteilon-speaking community in Ukhamati Tarajan, Assam. The study examines the sociolinguistic roles of these three languages in a multilingual diaspora community, where English is an associate official language, Assamese is the language of administration, and Meiteilon is an associate language. The research methodology combines a case study design with semi-structured interviews for primary data collection. Through the interviews with Meiteilon speakers across three generations of settlers, the research reveals a complex hierarchy of language use, where Meiteilon is confined to expressive and cultural domains, Assamese serves as the language of mobility and social status, and English symbolizes aspirational opportunities. Primary findings of the study indicate a high level of multilingualism, wherein all respondents spoke three or more languages. The findings also highlight the strategic negotiation of language choices among respondents from second, third, and fourth generation settlers. The study, as a whole, contributes to the understanding of language contact, language maintenance, and linguistic identity in multilingual settings, with emphasis on the complexities of language use in diaspora communities.