By Bianca T. F. Nongkynrih
*The English translation of the text is available below.
Ngam poi pyrkhat ba hadien katto katno snem, ngan thoh biang ha ka ktien lajong. Nga sngew lehraiñ ban ong ba kum ka nongkren jong ka ktien Khasi, ngam pat ju lap ba ngan thoh ne pyrkhat tyngeh da ka ktien lajong haduh mynta. Bunsien ha ki kam bad ki jingpule jong nga, nga la hap thoh bun kiei kiei, tangba kane ka dei ka sien kaba nyngkong ba nga shong ban thoh ha ka ktien lajong. Nga sngewlehraiñ ruh ban ong ba nga lap ïa ka jingjynar ban lap ïa ki kyntien ki ba biang ban pynshai ïa ka jingmut jong nga. Bad ka jinglehraiñ ka heh shuh shuh ba ngam shem lap ïa kane ka jingjynar ban thoh ha ka ktien English, bad ba nga hap pyndonkam ïa ki kyntien English haba ngam tip ki kyntien ha ka ktien lajong. Ha ka juh ka por, nga sngew sarong ban pyrkhat ba nga lah sdang biang ban thoh ha ka ktien Khasi, bad nga kyrmen ba kane ka jingthoh kan long kum ka sienjam ka ba nyngkong sha ka jingsngewjan ïa ka ktien lajong. Te nga kwah ban ong ïa ki nongpule ban ai lad ïa nga ban batai ïa ka jingmut nga ha kat kaba nga lah, bad ban nym dom ba nga pyndonkam ki kyntien jong ki nongwei haba nga pyrshang ban thoh kane ka jingthoh. Kumta, nga kwah ban kyrpad ïa ki nongpule ban nym thew ïa ka rukom thoh jong nga, hynrei ban shu peit ïa ka jingmut jong ka jingthoh.
Ha ki jingpule jong nga ha ka subjek Linguistik, nga lah lap ba kaei ka ba kongsan duh ban ïada ïa ka jingduh jong ki ktien ba ngi kren, ka dei ka jingpyndonkam jong ki man la ka sngi. Hynrei, bun sien nga lap ba nga shem bun ki jingjynjar ban lap ki kyntien ba nga kwah ban pyndonkam ban pynshai ïa ki jingmut bad jingpyrkhat jong nga ha ka ktien lajong. Haba kumta, nga kwah ban wad ka lad ba ngan lah ban pynithuh biang ïalade ha ka ktien lajong, ka ktien ba don ka connection ïa ka jingim, ka identity, ka kolshor, bad ka histori jong nga. Nga kwah ban pynkynmaw ïa ki briew ïa ka jingdonkam kaba kongsan eh ba kin pyndonkam ïa ki ktien lajong ha ïing ha sem bad ha ki jingkren bad jingthoh bad ki paralok parajor.
Katba ka ïaid ka por, ki rukom leh, rukom im bad ki rukom pyrkhat jong ngi ki kylla. Ha kajuh ka por, ki ktien ba ngi kren ruh ki kylla kumba kylla kine ki rukom. Lada ngi sngewthuh ba ki ktien ruh ki kylla kumne, ngi lah ban pdiang ïa ki kyntien kiba mih thymmai ha ki jingkren ne jingthoh jong ngi, bad kumne, ngi lah ban lap ki kyntien ban batai ïa ki concept ki bym ju don mynshuwa. Nga kwah ban kyrpad ïa ki nongpule, lada ki dei ki nongkren jong ka ktien Khasi, ne ka ktien aiu aiu ruh, ba kin peit ïa kane ka jingthoh, bad kin ïoh mynsiem ban sdang ban thoh ne kren biang ha ki ktien lajong. Hooid, kum ka nongkren jong ka ktien Khasi, nga lap ïa ka jingsuk ban thoh ha ka ktien lajong namar ba ngi don ïa ka dak thoh ha ka ktien Khasi. Hynrei, ki bun ki ktien bym lap kum kane ka jingsuk namar kim don dak thoh jong lajong. Kum ki nongkren ba don dak thoh lajong, ngi dei ban shim ka lad ban thoh beit ha ka ktien lajong, namar ba katba ngi nang thoh bad nang pyndonkam ïa ka ktien, kan dang ïoh ka lad ban nang roi shuh shuh. Lada ym don ba thoh ne kren ki ktien, kan sa lap ka por ban kin duh noh. Bad, lada ki ktien ki duh, ki bun kiei kiei ki ba lah ban duh lem bad ka ktien. Haba ngi pynduh noh ïa ki jingmlien jong ngi, ka poi ka por ba ngim shem kynmaw shuh ïa ki jingmlein. Kumjuh ruh, da ngi pynduh ïa ka jingpyndonkam jong ki ktien jong ngi, ha ka jingthoh bad ka jingkren, ka lah ban poi ka por ba ngi klet noh ïa ki. Ka jingpyndonkam ïa ki ktien lajong kan ai ïa ki ktien ka lad ban nang roi bad nang ïadei ha ka por ba mynta. Lada ngi leh kumne, kum ki nongkren ïa ki ktien ba kham rit, ka lawei jong ka ktien jong ngi ruh kan long kaba sngewbha.
Shuwa ba ngan pynkut ïa kane ka jingthoh, nga kwah ban pynkynmaw ïalade bad ban kular ïalade ba ngan sdang noh ka jingmlien ban kren bad ban thoh ha ka ktien lajong, khamtam ha ki por ba nga ïakren ban ki briew ba dei ki nongkren Khasi. Haba nga leh kumne, nga ngeit ba ka ktien ruh kan nang ïoh ka lad ban pyndonkam ha ki jaka bym shem la don ne lap ïa ka ktien Khasi, kum ha ki social media bad ki jaka paidbah. Kumta, nga kwah ban kyrpad ïa ki nongpule ba pdiang ïa ka jingkular ban pyrshang tyngeh ban pyndonkam ïa ki ktien jong ngi ha man la ka lad ba ngi ïoh. Haba ngi ïaileh ban pyndonkam ki ktien, nga ngeit ba ki nongthoh aiñ jong ngi, kin ïohi katno ki ktien ki donkam ïa ka jingkyrshan jong ki ban plie lad ban lap ïa ki ktien jong ngi ha ki jaka paidbah, ha ki subjek pule ha skul, bad ha ki jaka pyndonkam ktien ba thymmai, bad ka ba donkam eh, ban shna ki aiñ ban ïada ïa ki ktien jong ngi na ka jingduh noh. Nga sngewthuh ba ki nongkren jong ka ktien Khasi ki duna da ngi ïanujor bad kiwei ki ktien ba kren sha kiwei Ri ne ha la Ri lajong, tangba nga ngeit ba ki ktien jong ngi ruh, ki dei ban ïoh ki juh ki lad bad ki juh ki jingmyntoi kum ba ïoh ki ktien ba bun nongkren. Ki hok ba ki ktien ki dei ban ïoh kim dei ban shong ha katno ngut ki nongkren jong ki ktien ki don. Kumta, ngi dei ban sngew sarong haba ngi kren ïa ki ktien jong ngi, ha kano kano ka rukom ba ngi lah, ban nang ïoh ka jingstad ha ki ktien, bad ban ai lad ïa ki ktien ban lap ka lynti ban mih sha khmat ban kylla ki ktien ba ngi lah ban pyndonkam ha kano kano ka jaka.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT IN KHASI
The Start of Writing in My Language
I never thought that after so many years, I would be writing in my language again. I am embarrassed to admit that as a Khasi speaker, I have never put much effort into writing or thinking in my language until this moment. Throughout my years of study and work, I have had to write various things, but this is the first time that I am sitting down to write in my language. I am also ashamed to admit that I am having great difficulty in finding the right words to express myself. My shame is heightened when I realise that I do not find the same challenges when writing in English, and when I resort to using English words for ones I don’t know in my language. However, at the same time, I feel a sense of pride as I begin to write in my language once again, and I hope this will be the first step towards acquainting myself with my language. I ask the readers to give me a chance to express myself in whatever capacity I have, and not to find fault in my use of a foreign language as I attempt to write this. I, therefore, ask the readers not to judge the way I write, but rather to look at the meaning of what I write.
Throughout my reading and studies in the field of linguistics, I have realised that one of the most important steps to preventing language loss is to continue using the language every day. However, I face various difficulties as I look for the words that best describe my thoughts in my language. For this reason, I sit here and hope to find a path that will enable me to familiarise myself with my language—the language that has a connection to my life, my identity, my culture and my history. I also aim to remind people of the crucial need to use our languages at home and as we speak with or write to our friends.
As time moves on, our practices, way of life and perspectives go through a process of evolution. In the same manner, our languages also evolve alongside these practices, ways and perspectives. We must take cognisance of this evolution to embrace the new ways that languages are used, in the way we speak and write them. Through this, new words will emerge to provide meanings to concepts that otherwise never existed. I want to ask readers, whether they are speakers of the Khasi language or any other language, to regard this article as a source of inspiration to begin using their languages again. I must admit that as a Khasi speaker, I have an advantage and ease in writing in my language thanks to its established alphabet that enables me to write in Khasi. However, many languages don’t have the same privilege as they lack a writing system. As speakers of written languages, we must take the opportunities available and continue writing to enable them to continue growing. If there are no speakers or writers of a language, a time will come when the language ceases to exist. And if these languages disappear, many things can disappear with them. Once we lose a habit we have formed, there is a great possibility that we forget about them. In the same manner, once we stop using our languages, we are going to forget how to use them. The use of our languages will allow them to grow and stay relevant even in modern times. As speakers of minority languages, we can continue to use our languages to create a positive future for them.
Before I end this article, I want to remind and promise myself to create a habit of speaking and writing in my language more, especially when speaking to other Khasi speakers. If I continue to do this, I believe that opportunities will emerge to use the language in new domains of language use, like social media and other public spaces. Therefore, I ask the readers to join hands and put a conscious effort into continually using our languages every chance we get. As we put an effort into using our languages, our policymakers will recognise that our languages require their assistance to create more opportunities where they can thrive in public spaces, in school subjects, in new domains of language use, and most importantly to create policies that protect and preserve our languages. Khasi speakers are fewer in number compared to speakers of other languages spoken in other countries or within India, but I strongly believe that our languages too have the right to all the opportunities and advantages that speakers of languages with more speakers have. The number of speakers that a language has must not be a factor that determines the right to speak or use the language. Therefore, we must develop a sense of pride while we use our languages to enable them to come forth and transform into languages that can be used in all kinds of spaces.
Bianca Nongkynrih is a linguist and advocate for language revitalization, planning, and policy, with a focus on Northeast India’s minority languages. Through research, advocacy, and conference presentations, she works to raise awareness of language loss, empower communities to reclaim their linguistic spaces and push for stronger language rights. Her participation in #GLAD25 aligns with her mission to ensure that marginalized languages thrive, not just survive.
Comments