Star of Mysore reports today that a German linguist Dr. Gregg M Cox has developed a script for Kodava language, which he has presented to the district administration. Apparently, the Kodava community too is debating this. I don’t know what inspired Cox to undertake this project or choose Kodava, given that our German friend is also reputed to know sixty four languages. Google search revealed only two other brief reports (see this and this) in The Hindu, both on his Kodava project. He seems to have adopted Kodagu as his pet cause since 2004, when he first visited Coorg and has reportedly spent twenty thousand dollars of his own money to develop this script.
In recent times, Kodava and Tulu speakers have shown some resentment over using Kannada script. Some folks claim every once in a while Tulu has an independent script and make demands that this be acknowledged by one and all. We all know about Coorgi resentment against Malayali encroachers and Kannada aggressors, which has resulted in demands for a separate state.
Anyway, I am tempted to say we just needed a crazy German to add some ghee to the fire. But then this other thought preempts that: it usually takes a few years to learn a language properly but then here is our German friend, who has created a script for a language he presumably didn’t know two years ago.
Talk about being impressive!
6 Comments
does it harm anyone? Do we expect every kodava to start using this in next 10 years.What differance does it make ?
Prakash, speakers of a language make choices all the time and the reasons are sometimes crazy and sometimes rational. I have no problems with Kodavas inventing a script of their, but if they care about the survival of their language and culture, they have more important stuff to worry about. an independent script will not ensure survival but actually writing something in it or using it for everyday business. often times, we get lost in ‘faltu’ issues and lose sight of what needs to be done.
anyway, it seems funny to me that a German too wants to get into this game.
Intresting response at Spectrum in Deccan herald
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may92006/spectrum154222200658.asp
Thank you, this is an interesting piece.
But here is what I don’t understand. If he truly believes that a language without a script of its own is like a family without a name, then shouldn’t Cox work on creating something for German first!
Two things…
First of all, I agree that this German dude would have been better off without this. One thing which comes to my mind is - Who would elarn it now ? it’s not aprt of the culture, it’s not part of history. See what happened to Esperanto.
That said, any language needs to have a script to survive for a long time. See the state of Tulu and Konkani and Kodava as compared to tamil or Kananda or Telugu or Malayalam. A script is a natural choice for survival, at least to a large extent.
So, at the end of the day, I kind of have mixed feelings.
Well, this is late but anyway let me say this explicitly on languages and scripts. While we cite examples of Tulu or Kodava, let us also look at those languages that use Roman script. Surely, that hasn’t hindered any of the European languages from flourishing and producing great literature. The German dude is a nut case and if he truly believes in what he says, let him fight the battle for German first.
Post a Comment