Attitudes and perspectives toward Deukhuri

Kathariya respondents reported more differences than the other varieties between their own language and Dangaura. Despite this, all but one respondent felt they understood most or all of the Dangaura story. Although this does not confirm comprehension of Dangaura by the Kathariya respondents, it shows that they have positive attitudes towards the Dangaura variety.

5.2 Attitudes and perspectives toward Deukhuri

This section summarizes the data collected regarding attitudes and perspectives toward Deukhuri. Dialect mapping participants in Majgau, Dang district, a Deukhuri village, listed several VDCs as having speech that sounds exactly like their own: Sonpur, Gobardiya, Gangapraspur, Gadhawa, Chaulahi, Lalmatiya and Sisahaniya. These districts are all located in western Dang district, south of the Mahendra highway, except Lalmatiya and Sisahaniya VDCs which are located north of the highway. Like Dangaura participants, they said they understand most, but not all off the Tharu spoken in Satbariya VDC. They also reported understanding most of the speech in Bela VDC. When asked, participants said they do not understand very much Desauriya. They had not interacted frequently enough with Malhoriya or Kathariya speakers to discuss those varieties during the facilitation. When asked which speech varieties they understand best, participants listed the same VDCs as they listed when asked who they completely understand. They reported understanding Satbariya VDC as second most understood, followed by Nepali. Table 7 shows the minimal levels of contact between MalhoriyaDesauriyaKathariya and Deukhuri reported in individual interviews. Table 7. Contact with Deukhuri speakers MAL DES KAT Total N= 13 12 12 37 Have met DK 10 77 6 50 10 83 26 70 Most Malhoriya 10 of 13 and Kathariya 10 of 12 respondents have met Deukhuri speakers. However, only six 6 of 12 Desauriya people interviewed had contact with Deukhuri. Of those who reported meeting Deukhuri speakers, a follow-up question was asked: “How did their Tharu make you feel?” Responses are shown in table 8. Table 8. Informal interview responses regarding Deukhuri speech MAL DES KAT N= 10 6 10 How did their [DK] Tharu make you feel? Good 80 50 90 Indifferent 20 50 10 Bad – – – When asked how they like the language of the Deukhuri people they have met, none of the respondents said the Deukhuri language was “bad.” This shows a lack of clearly negative attitudes toward Deukhuri speech by those who have met them. Table 9 shows responses to RSQ questions asking how listeners liked the storyteller’s speech and if the speech was different from their own. Table 9. Attitudes towards speech in Deukhuri story DG MAL DES KAT N= 10 13 12 11 How did you like his speech? Good 80 77 92 91 Fine 20 23 8 9 Bad – – – – Is the language in this story…from the language spoken here? Same 10 69 33 20 A little different 70 31 58 40 Very different 20 – 8 40 As seen in table 9, the majority of respondents said that the storyteller’s speech was “good.” Over 90 of both Desauriya and Kathariya respondents said that the storyteller’s speech was “good.” None of the respondents said they disliked the Deukhuri speech they had heard. This data suggests positive attitudes toward Deukhuri speech from the tested varieties. The majority of Malhoriya respondents 69 reported the Deukhuri storyteller’s speech as the “same” as their own. By contrast, only 33 of Desauriya, 20 of Kathariya and 10 of Dangaura respondents said the same about the storyteller’s speech table 9. Regardless of whether respondents claimed the storyteller’s speech as the “same” as their own, the majority reported the speech as “good.” This suggests positive attitudes toward Deukhuri speech because, even when differences were recognized, the speech sample was viewed as “good.” The majority of respondents from all varieties reported that they would allow their son or daughter to marry someone who spoke like the Deukhuri storyteller. This suggests that the participants do not hold negative attitudes toward Deukhuri speech. After listening to the Deukhuri story, participants were asked, “How much of the story did you understand?” Table 10 displays the responses. Table 10. Perceived comprehension of Deukhuri story DG MAL DES KAT N= 10 13 12 11 How much of the Deukhuri story did you understand? All 100 100 92 91 Most – – 8 9 Half – – – – Less than half – – – – While fewer respondents have had previous contact with Deukhuri speakers than with Dangaura, table 10 shows that more respondents felt they understood all of the Deukhuri story than said the same about the Dangaura story. Consistent with this, Kathariya dialect mapping participants reported that they understand Deukhuri speech better than Dangaura speech. After Kathariya participants heard the Dangaura story, eight of 11 73 reported understanding all of the story compared to 10 of 11 91 claiming they understood all of the Deukhuri story. Every Dangaura and Malhoriya RSQ respondent reported understanding all of the Deukhuri story. However, Dangaura and Malhoriya dialect mapping participants reported that they understand half of what Deukhuri speakers say. This indicates that Dangaura and Malhoriya speakers identify their speech as different from Deukhuri, but respond differently to an actual sample of speech. Of those who reported the storyteller’s speech as different in some way, the primary reason was “style.” In summary of what speakers of other varieties reported about Deukhuri speech, the Deukhuri story was reportedly the most understood story of all the varieties tested. A high percentage of respondents said the Deukhuri speech in the story was “good.” The same was reported through informal interviews. Desauriya and Kathariya respondents reported the highest amount of differences between their speech and Deukhuri. Despite identifying differences, the majority of respondents from all varieties reported favorable attitudes towards Deukhuri speech. In addition, the majority of interview respondents said they would allow marriages with Deukhuri speakers. Based on this data, it can be generalized that respondents do not hold negative attitudes toward Deukhuri.

5.3 Attitudes and perspectives toward Malhoriya