Languages Purpose and goals

1.2 People

The inhabitants of Idukki district have migrated there at different times. Several tribal groups, as well as people from the plains, are found in Idukki. It is believed that the tribal groups migrated from Tamil Nadu and other parts of Kerala in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Europeans entered the area during the first decades of the nineteenth century and started tea plantations. A major migration of people from the plains Tamil Nadu and other parts of Kerala to this area occurred between 1950 and 1970 Manoj 2001:40. Many of those migrants came and settled as cultivators and estate laborers. According to the 2001 census, the total population of Idukki district is 1,128,605 with a literacy rate of 89. The people profess Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and tribal animistic religions. The 1981 census records about half of the population as Hindu, about 40 as Christian, and a small minority as Muslim. Idukki has a large population of tribal people who belong to the Proto-astroloid race Manoj 2001:40. It appears that only a few of Idukki’s tribal communities are keeping their ethnic uniqueness vital. Education has brought many changes into the lives of these tribes. Their cultures and languages have been very much influenced by migrants from the plains.

1.3 Languages

Malayalam, Tamil and several tribal languages are spoken in Idukki district. Malayalam is the language of wider communication. Some of the tribal groups, such as Muthuvan and Mannan, still speak their languages among themselves. However, education in Malayalam and frequent contact with Malayalis may eventually cause, or be in the process of causing, language shift in some other tribal groups. It appears that language shift has taken or is taking place towards Malayalam among the Mala Arayan, Ulladan and Urali. It is believed that the younger generation among these groups does not know about their group’s traditional language and may only know a few words. The Mala Pulayan and Paliyan are believed to speak languages related to Tamil, but conversely with others in Malayalam or Tamil. One member among the Mala Vedan in Idukki has reported that they have not spoken their traditional language since they emigrated from their original home area. Menon 1996:141 reports that the language of the Mala Pandaram is a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam.

1.4 Purpose and goals

The purpose of this sociolinguistic survey among the tribes of Idukki district of Kerala was to investigate the need for language development and literacy work among them for the welfare of the community. The goals of the project, along with the research methods used, were: 1. Investigate the speech varieties currently spoken among the tribes of Idukki and their relationship with the languages of wider communication, Malayalam and Tamil. Wordlists, published materials and questionnaires 2. Assess the degree of variation within each speech variety of Idukki district. Wordlists, Recorded Text Test RTT and questionnaires 3. Evaluate the extent of bilingualism among minority language communities in Kerala’s state language, Malayalam. Malayalam RTT, questionnaires and observation 4. Investigate the patterns of language use, attitudes and vitality. Questionnaires and observation 5. Ascertain the difference between the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste 3 Mannan in terms of language and people. Wordlists, published materials and questionnaires 6. Find out what materials are available about the tribal groups of Idukki district. Questionnaires and library research 2 Tribes of Idukki

2.1 Introduction