Konkani कोंकणी, Konknni, ಕೊಂಕಣಿ, കൊങ്കണി, koṃkaṇī
Pronunciation:	kõkɵɳi (standard), kõkɳi (popular)
Spoken in:	India
Region:	Konkan
Total speakers:	7. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad 6 million
Ranking:	123
Language family:	Indo-European  Indo-Iranian   Indo-Aryan    Southern Zone     Konkani      Konkani
Writing system:	Devanagari (official), Roman, Kannada, Malayalam and Arabic
Official status
Official language in:	Goa, India
Regulated by:	no official regulation
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	none
ISO 639-2:	kok
ISO 639-3:	kok
This page contains Indic text. This is a list of languages, ordered by the number of native-language speakers, with some data for second-language use List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages The Indo-Aryan languages (within the context of Indo-European studies also Indic) are a branch of the Indo-European language family The Indo-Aryan languages include some 210 ( SIL estimate languages and dialects spoken by many people in Asia; this language family is a part of the The Indo-Aryan languages include some 210 ( SIL estimate languages and dialects spoken by many people in Asia; this language family is a part of the A writing system is a type of Symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in Language. The Kannada script is a Syllabary (of the type sometimes called an Abugida) of the Brahmic family, primarily to write the Kannada language The Malayalam script is an Abugida of the Brahmic family, used to write the Malayalam language. The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing several languages of Asia and Africa such as Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country This is a list of bodies that regulate Standard languages Natural languages Auxiliary languages Interlingua The auxiliary language ISO 639-1 is the first part of the ISO 639 international-standard language-code family ISO 639-2 is the second part of the ISO 639 standard, which lists codes for the representation of the names of languages ISO 639 -3 (ISO 639-32007 is an international standard for Language codes The standard describes three‐letter codes for identifying languages The Brahmic family is a family of syllabaries (writing systems used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central Asia and East Asia, Without rendering support you may see irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts. More...

Konkani (Devanāgarī: कोंकणी; Roman: Konknni; Kannada: ಕೊಂಕಣಿ; Malayalam: കൊങ്കണി; IAST: koṃkaṇī) is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages spoken in the Konkan coast of India. The Kannada script is a Syllabary (of the type sometimes called an Abugida) of the Brahmic family, primarily to write the Kannada language The Malayalam script is an Abugida of the Brahmic family, used to write the Malayalam language. The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration ( IAST) is a popular Transliteration scheme that allows a lossless Romanization of Indic The Indo-Aryan languages (within the context of Indo-European studies also Indic) are a branch of the Indo-European language family The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad It has approximately 7. 6 million speakers of its two individual languages: Konkani and Goan Konkani.

Konkani is the official language in the state of Goa and is also one of the Official languages of India. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language

Konkani does not have a unique script. Scripts of the other regional languages where its speakers inhabit are used. Devanagiri has been mandated as the official script.

Phonology

The Konkani language has 16 basic vowels (excluding equal number of long vowels), 36 consonants, 5 semi-vowels, 3 sibilants, 1 aspirate and lots of diphthongs. In Phonetics, a diphthong (also gliding vowel) (from Greek grc δίφθογγος "diphthongos" literally "with two sounds" or "with Like the other Indo-Aryan languages, it has both long and short vowels and syllables with long vowels may appear to be stressed. The Indo-Aryan languages (within the context of Indo-European studies also Indic) are a branch of the Indo-European language family Different types of nasal vowels is a special feature of the Konkani language.

Vowels

Front	Near-front	Central	Near-back	Back
Close	i • • u ɪ • • ʊ e • • ɵ • o ɛ • ʌ • ɔ æ ɐ a • • ɒ
Near‑close
Close‑mid
Mid
Open‑mid
Near‑open
Open

One of the most distinguishing features of Konkani phonology is the use of ɵ, the Close-mid central vowel, instead of the schwa as used in Hindi and Marathi. A front vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a front vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far forward A near-front vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a near-front vowel is that the tongue is positioned as A central vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a central vowel is that the tongue is positioned halfway between A near-back vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a near-back vowel is that the tongue is positioned as A back vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a back vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far back as A close vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in many spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a close vowel is that the tongue is positioned as close as The close front unrounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in many spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents The close back rounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents Near-close near-front unrounded vowel The near-close near-front unrounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The The near-close near-back vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet for Close-mid front unrounded vowel The close-mid front unrounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the The close-mid central rounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that The close-mid back rounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents The open-mid front unrounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet The open-mid back unrounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet The open-mid back rounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet The near-open central vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that The open front unrounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet The open back rounded vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that A near-close vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a near-close vowel is that the tongue is positioned similarly A close-mid vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a close-mid vowel is that the tongue is positioned two-thirds A mid vowel is a Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a mid vowel is that the tongue is positioned mid-way between an The open-mid vowels make a class of Vowel sounds used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of an open-mid vowel is that the tongue is positioned A near-open vowel is a type of Vowel sound used in some spoken Languages The defining characteristic of a near-open vowel is that the tongue is positioned similarly An open vowel is a Vowel sound of a type used in most spoken Languages The defining characteristic of an open vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far as In Linguistics, specifically Phonetics and Phonology, schwa can mean the following An unstressed and toneless neutral

Whereas most Indian languages use only one of the three front vowels, represented by the Devanagari grapheme ए(IPA:e), Konkani uses three: e, ɛ and æ.

The Near-open front unrounded vowel (æ), as used in Konkani is different from its standard IPA definition. It is positioned between ɛ and æ and slightly longer than æ. The standard pronunciation of æ is only used for loan-words.

Consonants

The Consonants in Konkani are similar to Marathi.

Grammar

Konkani is a language rich in morphology and syntax. It cannot be described as a stress language nor as a tone language. Language timing is the rhythmic quality of a particular type of speech in particular how Syllables are distributed across time A tonal language is a language that uses tone to distinguish words ^[1]

Word Formation

Most of the words in Konkani have evolved from Sanskrit to be precise from Sauraseni and Maharashtri{. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical A Dramatic Prakrit, Sauraseni was the chief Language of northern Medieval India, evolving into the Hindi language complex Punjabi Maharashtri (महाराष्ट्री प्राकृत is a language of ancient and medieval India, descended from Sanskrit, and spoken in what is It also includes a significant number of loan words derived from Dravidian languages ^[2]. The Dravidian family of languages includes approximately 73 languages (including the four literary languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada It has loan words from other languages, such as Marathi, Kannada, Urdu and Portuguese. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Kannada (kn [[wiktಕನ್ನಡ ಕನ್ನಡ]] Kannaḍa) is one of the major Dravidian languages of India, spoken predominantly in the state Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal.

Evolution of Konkani words from Sanskrit and Prakrit

Konkani verbs and their roots

• All the verbs and their evolution strictly follow the rules of Apabrhamsh (corruption of language ) and Prakrit (ie Sauraseni and Maharashtri )

Metaphors

Konkani language is very euphimistic and if full of metaphors. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one A Dramatic Prakrit, Sauraseni was the chief Language of northern Medieval India, evolving into the Hindi language complex Punjabi Maharashtri (महाराष्ट्री प्राकृत is a language of ancient and medieval India, descended from Sanskrit, and spoken in what is

Geographical distribution

The Konkani language is spoken widely in the Western Coastal region of India known as Konkan. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad This consists of the Konkan division of Maharashtra, Goa, South Canara, North Canara and some pockets in Kerala. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Dakshina Kannada ( Kannada & Tulu:ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಕನ್ನಡ (earlier known as South Kanara, or South Canara) is a coastal Uttara Kannada ( Kannada ಉತ್ತರ ಕನ್ನಡ) is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; Each region has a different dialect, pronunciation style, vocabulary, tone and sometimes, significant differences in grammar. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of Konkani language is also spoken in minorities in other parts of Karnataka. Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India A very few Konkani speakers are also found in North India. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula

The Census Department of India, 1991 figures put the number of Konkani speakers in India as 1,760,607 making up 0. 21% of India's population. Out of these, 602,606 were in Goa, 706,397 in Karnataka, 312,618 in Maharashtra and 64,008 in Kerala. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; ^[1] It ranks 15th in the list of Scheduled Languages as per strength. According to the 2001 estimates of the The Census Department of India, there are 2,489,015 Konkani speakers in India. ^[3] A very large number of Konkanis stay outside India, either as expatriates or citizens of other countries (NRIs). A non-resident Indian (NRI is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country a person of Indian origin who is born outside India or a person of Determining their numbers is difficult.

Ethnologue puts the number of Konkani speakers at 7. Ethnologue Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics a Christian 6 million (estimated). ^[4][5]

History

Origins

The Konkan region is the narrow strip of land between the Sahyadri Mountain range and the Arabian Sea on the western coast of India. The Konkani language developed in the region, primarily in Gomantak (now Goa). Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population.

There are two theories regarding the origins of Konkani:

The precursors to the Konkani are the Brahmins who resided along the banks of the river Saraswati ie Saraswati Mandal which flowed in Northwestern India about 5000 years ago. Saraswati (pronounced as; Sanskrit: sa सरस्वती sarasvatī; Malay: Saraswati Thai: สุรัสวดี is the As a consequence of seismic activity in the Himalayas, the river ran underground around 1900 B. C. E. forcing a migration of the inhabitants. After a long journey, a group of these people settled in the Gomantak region. They brought their own dialect of Shauraseni Prakrit, which over time evolved into modern Konkani. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one ^[6]

Another theory is that Konkani is a Sanskritised version of a language spoken by the Kokna tribe. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical This is a full list of Scheduled Tribes in India, as recognised in India 's Constitution a total of 645 distict tribes The Kokna tribals (also referred to as Kokni or Kukni or Kukna) are now found in North Maharashtra and South Gujarat, but may have been the primary settlers in the Konkan region. The migrating Aryans who came to the Konkan picked up the language and added various Prakrit/Sanskrit words. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical ^[7]

Research done by Dr Kulkarni( University of Nagpur) has shown that Konkani has many words of Maharashtri origin ( not to b mixed with marathi language. The Nagpur University also known as Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University was established on August 4, 1923 in the city of Nagpur Maharashtri (महाराष्ट्री प्राकृत is a language of ancient and medieval India, descended from Sanskrit, and spoken in what is ,though both the languages have comman roots}

Early years

Konkani as a language flourished in Goa. It is believed that the Brahmi script may have been used initially for writing in Konkani but it fell into disuse. Brāhmī script refers to the oldest members of the Brahmic family of alphabets. It is also believed that Brahmi gave way to the Devanagari script. However, no evidence has been found to support these claims. In the 1300s, the development of Marathi and the availability of religious and literary works in Marathi, led to its use extensively for religious purposes among the Hindus of Goa. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Konkani existed only as a spoken language until the arrival of the Portuguese.

Other communities

Other Konkani communities came into being with their own dialects of Konkani. The Konkani Muslim communities of Ratnagiri and Bhatkal came about due to a mixture of intermarriage of Arab seafarers and locals as well as conversions of Hindus to Islam. Konkani / Kokani Muslims is a Muslim sub-ethnic group of Maharashtrian Muslims living in the Konkan region of India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ratnāgiri ( Marathi:रत्नागिरी is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bhatkal ( Kannada - ಭಟ್ಕಲ) is a Port town in Uttara Kannada ^[8] Another migrant community that picked up Konkani was the Siddis who were sailor-warriors from Ethiopia. Not to be confused with the Hindu term Siddhi (though sometimes spelt in the same way ^[9]

Migration and fragmentation

The arrival of the Portuguese lead to major changes in Konkani. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The conversion of Konkanis to Christianity and the religious policies of the Portuguese caused a large number of Konkanis to flee to neighbouring territories. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The isolation of Hindu and Christian Konkanis added to the fragmentation of Konkani into multiple dialects.

The language spread to Canara (coastal Karnataka), Kokan-patta (coastal Konkan division of Maharashtra) and Kerala during the last 500 years due to migration of Konkanis. The Kanara or Canara region (called Karavali) that comprises three coastal districts of Karnataka, a southern state of India. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad Although a few Konkanis may have been present in the neighbouring areas and there may have been migrations due to economic reasons in the past, the main cause of migration was the Portuguese control over Goa.

It was spread to these areas by Hindu Konkani and Christian Konkani speakers in three waves of migration. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical The first migration occurred during the early years of Portuguese rule and the Inquisition of 1560s. The second wave of migration was during the 1571 C. E. war with the Sultan of Bijapur. The third wave of migration happened during the wars of 1683-1740 C. E. with the Marathas. The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta While the first wave was of Hindus fleeing religious persecution, the second and third waves were mainly those of Christians.

These migrant communities grew in relative isolation and each developed its own dialect. Since these communities had to interact with others in local languages on a daily basis, Konkani dialects show strong local influences in terms of script, vocabulary and also style.

Konkani in Portuguese era

Early in the era of Portuguese colonization, Christian missionaries realized the importance of propagating in local tongues and translated Christian Literature into Konkani and sometimes Marathi, the most notable among them being Fr Thomas Stephens. Portuguese India (Índia Portuguesa or Estado da Índia) was the aggregate of Portugal 's colonial holdings in India. Thomas Stephens (c 1549 Bushton Wiltshire England - 1619 Salcete, Goa, India) was a Jesuit priest Missionary

However, in 1684 C. E. , the Portuguese administration banned the use of local languages in their Indian territories. They mandated the use of Portuguese not just for official purposes but everyday conversations including speaking at homes or bazaars. This was because local languages served as a medium for Hindu religious instruction. They also wanted to sever the links the new converts had with their culture.

Coupled with the imposition of Portuguese as an official language, it lead to a steady decline of Konkani, which unlike most Indian languages had absolutely no state patronage.

The Hindus of Goa had been using Marathi as a language of religious ceremonies from a long time. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Also the interaction between Marathis and Konkanis in the past, that had resulted in Konkanis being bilingual with Marathi, now cemented the status of Marathi as the liturgical and literary language of Hindus in Goa, including Konkanis. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Similarly, upper class Christians used Konkani only to communicate with the lower classes and poor, using Portuguese in social gatherings. The use of Portuguese led to the influence of Portuguese in Konkani, especially in the dialects spoken by the Christians. ^[10]

Meanwhile, the migrant communities outside Goa kept Konkani alive, and the language became more fragmented. The Devanagari script came into use in Maharashtra, while Kannada Script was used by migrants to Karnataka.

Konkani revival

Shenoi Goembab, respected as a pioneer of modern Konkani literature and a figurehead for Konkani unity

Konkani was in a sorry state, due to the use of Portuguese as the official and social language among the Christians; the predominance of Marathi over Konkani among Hindus and the Konkani Christian-Hindu divide. Waman Raghunath Shennoi Varde Valaulikar ( Konkani: वामण रघुनाथ शेणै वाळौलिकर ( 23 June 1877 - 9 April Seeing this Vaman Raghunath Varde Valaulikar set about on a mission to unite all Konkanis, Hindus as well as Christians, regardless of caste or religion. He saw this movement not just as a nationalistic movement against Portuguese rule, but also against the pre-eminence of Marathi over Konkani. Almost single handedly he crusaded, writing a number of works in Konkani. He is regarded as the pioneer of modern Konkani literature and affectionately remembered as Shenoi Goembab. Waman Raghunath Shennoi Varde Valaulikar ( Konkani: वामण रघुनाथ शेणै वाळौलिकर ( 23 June 1877 - 9 April ^[11] His death anniversary, 9th April, is celebrated as World Konkani Day (Viswa Konknni Dis)^[12]

Post-independence period

Following India's Independence and its subsequent reconquest of Goa in 1961, Goa was absorbed into the Indian Union as a Union Territory, directly under central administration.

However, with the reorganization of states along linguistic lines, and growing calls from Maharashtra, as well as Marathis in Goa for the merger of Goa into Maharashtra, an intense debate was started in Goa. The main issues discussed were the status of Konkani as an independent language and Goa's future as a part of Maharashtra or as an independent state (see Konkani-Marathi Controversy). A plebiscite retained Goa as an independent state in 1967. ^[11]. However, English, Hindi and Marathi continued to be the preferred languages for official communication, while Konkani was sidelined. ^[13]

Recognition as an independent language

With the continued insistence of some Marathis that Konkani was a dialect of Marathi and not an independent language, the matter was finally placed before the Sahitya Akademi. The Sahitya Akademi (साहित्य अकादमी is an Indian organisation dedicated to the promotion of Literature in the Languages of Suniti Kumar Chatterji, the president of the Akademi appointed a Committee of linguistic experts to settle the dispute. Suniti Kumar Chatterji ( Bengali: সুনীতিকুমার চট্টোপাধ্যায় Shunitikumar Chôṭṭopaddhae) (1890-1977 was a On 26 February 1975, the Committee after due deliberation, came to the conclusion that Konkani was indeed an independent and literary language. ^[14]

Official language status

All this did not change anything in Goa. Finally fed up with the delay, Konkani lovers launched an agitation demanding official status to Konkani in 1986. The agitation turned violent in various places, resulting in the death of six agitators. Finally, on 4 February 1987, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed the Official Language Bill making Konkani the Official Language of Goa. ^[13]

Konkani was included in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India, as per the Seventy-First Amendment on 31 August 1992, adding it to the list of National Languages.

Scripts

Konkani is written in a number of scripts. Brahmi was originally used but fell into disuse. Brāhmī script refers to the oldest members of the Brahmic family of alphabets. Devanagari is the official script for Konkani in Goa. Roman script is also popular in Goa. The Kannada script is used amongst the Konkani population of Karnataka. The Kannada script is a Syllabary (of the type sometimes called an Abugida) of the Brahmic family, primarily to write the Kannada language Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Malayalam script is used by the Konkani community, centered around the cities of Cochin and Kozhikode in Kerala state. The Malayalam script is an Abugida of the Brahmic family, used to write the Malayalam language. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> For the district with the same name see Kozhikode District. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; Konkani Muslims in coastal Maharashtra and Bhatkal taluka of Karnataka use Arabic script to write Konkani. ^[10]

Dialects

Konkani, despite having a small population shows a very high number of dialects. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of The dialect tree structure of Konkani can easily be classified according to the region, religion, caste and local tongue influence. ^[10]

Different researchers have classified the dialects differently.

N. G. Kalekar's classification

Based on the historical events and cultural ties of the speakers, N. G. Kalekar has broadly classified the dialects into three main groups:^[10]

• Northern Konkani :Dialects spoken in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra with strong cultural ties to Marathi. Narayan Govind Kalelkar ( 11 December 1909 - ? was an Indian Linguist from Maharashtra.
• Central Konkani : Dialects in Goa, where Konkani came in close contact with Portuguese language and culture.
• Southern Konkani: Dialects spoken in the Canara region of Karnataka which came in close contact with Tulu and Kannada.

Ethnologue (ISO) classification

ISO 639-3 classifies Konkani generic macrolanguage(ISO 639-3:kok) into^[15]:

• Goan Konkani (ISO 639-3: gom )
• Konkani (individual language) (ISO 639-3: knn)

A list of Konkani dialects available from Ethnologue is as follows:

• Dialects of Konkani (ISO 639-3: knn):^[4]
  • Agari of Kolaba
  • Parabhi (Kayasthi, Damani)
  • Koli
  • Kiristav
  • Dhanagari
  • Bhandari
  • Thakuri (Thakari, Thakri, Thakua, Thakura)
  • Karhadi
  • Sangamesvari (Bakoti, Bankoti)
  • Ghati (Maoli)
  • Mahari (Dhed, Holia, Parvari)

• Dialects of Goan Konkani (ISO 639-3: gom):^[16]
  • Standard Konkani (Goan)
  • Bardeskari (Gomantaki)
  • Sarasvat Brahmin
  • Kudali (Malvani)
  • Daldi (Nawaits)
  • Chitpavani (Konkanasths)
  • Mangalore. ISO 639 -3 (ISO 639-32007 is an international standard for Language codes The standard describes three‐letter codes for identifying languages Ethnologue Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics a Christian

Related languages/dialects

Other languages/dialects which are included by ISO 639-3 in the Konkani family of the Language tree ^[5] but may be not be regarded as dialects of Konkani(they may be regarded as sister languages):

• Katkari (kfu)
• Kukna (kex)
• Phudagi (phd)
• Samvedi (smv)
• Varli (vav)

Problems/Issues

The Konkani language has been in danger of dying out primarily due to

1. The fragmentation of Konkani into various, sometimes mutually unintelligible dialects.
2. The Portuguese influence in Goa, especially on Catholics. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.
3. Strong degree of bilingualism of Konkani Hindus in Goa and coastal Maharashtra with Marathi
4. Progressive inroads made by Urdu into the Muslim communities.
5. Mutual animosity among various religious and caste groups; including a secondary status of Konkani culture to religion.
6. Migration of Konkanis to various parts of India and around the world.
7. Lack of opportunities to study Konkani in schools and colleges. Even till recently there were few Konkani schools in Goa. Populations outside the native Konkani areas have absolutely no access to Konkani education, even informally.
8. Preference among Konkani parents to speak to their children in "Potaachi Bhas" (language of the stomach) over "Maaim Bhas"(mother tongue) Konkani; primarily in English to help their children gain a grip over English in schools. ^[10]

Efforts have been made to stop this downward trend of usage of Konkani, starting with Shenoi Goembab's efforts to revive Konkani. Waman Raghunath Shennoi Varde Valaulikar ( Konkani: वामण रघुनाथ शेणै वाळौलिकर ( 23 June 1877 - 9 April There has been a renewed interest in Konkani Literature. The recognition granted by Sahitya Akademi to Konkani and the institution of an annual award for Konkani literature has helped. The Sahitya Akademi (साहित्य अकादमी is an Indian organisation dedicated to the promotion of Literature in the Languages of

Some organizations such as the Konkan Daiz Yatra, organized by Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Mumbai since 1939 and the newer Vishwa Konkani Parishad have laid great stress on uniting all factions of Konkanis.

Multilingualism

According to the Census Department of India, Konkani speakers show a very high degree of multilingualism. In the 1991 census, as compared to the national average of 19. 44% for bilingualism and 7. 26% for trilingualism; Konkani speakers scored 74. 20% and 44. 68% respectively. This makes Konkanis the most multilingual community of India.

This has been due to the fact that in most areas where Konkanis have settled, they seldom form a majority of the population and have to interact with others in the local tongue. Another reason for bilingualism has been the lack of schools teaching Konkani as a primary or secondary language.

While bilingualism is not by itself a bad thing, it has been misinterpreted as a sign that Konkani is not a developed language. The bilingualism of Konkanis with Marathi in Goa and Maharashtra has been a source of great discontent because it has led to the belief that Konkani is a dialect of Marathi ^{[17] [10]} (see Konkani-Marathi Dispute)and hence had a bearing on the future of Goa.

Konkani - Marathi dispute

It has been claimed by some quarters that Konkani is a dialect of Marathi and not an independent language. This has been attributed to several historical reasons (outlined in the History section), the close similarities between Marathi and Konkani, the geographical proximity between Goa and Maharashtra, the strong Marathi influence on Konkani dialects spoken in Maharashtra (such as Malwani), a supposed lack of literature in Konkani and a great degree of bilingualism of Konkani Hindus with respect to Marathi. Konkani ( Devanāgarī: कोंकणी Roman: Konknni Kannada: ಕೊಂಕಣಿ Malayalam: കൊങ്കണി IAST Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Malvani also known as "Malwani" is a dialect of Konkani with significant Marathi influences

José Pereira, in his 1971 work "Konkani - A Language: A History of the Konkani Marathi Controversy", pointed to an essay on Indian languages written by John Leyden in 1807 wherein Konkani is called a "dialect of Maharashtra" as an origin of the language controversy. ^[10]

Another linguist to whom the error is attributed is Grierson. George Abraham Grierson ( 7 January 1851, Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireland - 9 March 1941, Camberley Grierson's work on the languages of India: The Linguistic Survey of India was regarded as an important reference by other linguists. In his book, Grierson had distinguished between the Konkani spoken in costal Maharashtra (then, part of Bombay Presidency) and the Konkani spoken in Goa as being two different languages. He regarded the Konkani spoken in costal Maharashtra as a dialect of Marathi and not as a dialect of Goan Konkani itself. But, in his opinion, Goan Konkani was also to be considered a dialect of Marathi because the relegious literature used by the Hindus in Goa was not in Konkani itself, but in Marathi. Grierson's opinion about Goan Konkani was not based on it's linguistics but on the diglossic situation in Goa.

S. M. Katre's 1966 work, The Formation of Konkani, which utilized the instruments of modern historical and comparative linguistics across six typical Konkani dialects, showed the formation of Konkani to be distinct from that of Marathi. ^{[10] [17]} Shenoi Goembab, who played a pivotal role in the Konkani revival movement, rallied against the pre-eminence of Marathi over Konkani amongst Hindus and Portuguese amongst Christians. Waman Raghunath Shennoi Varde Valaulikar ( Konkani: वामण रघुनाथ शेणै वाळौलिकर ( 23 June 1877 - 9 April

Goa's accession to India in 1961 came at a time when Indian states were being reorganized along linguistic lines. There were demands to merge Goa with Maharashtra state. This was because Goa had a sizeable population of Marathi speakers and Konkani was also considered to be a dialect of Marathi by many. Konkani Goans were opposed to the move. The status of Konkani as an independent language or as a dialect of Marathi had a great political bearing on Goa's merger, which was settled by a plebiscite in 1967. ^[10]

The Sahitya Akademi (a prominent literary organization in India) recognized it as an independent language in 1975, and subsequently Konkani (in Devanagari script) was made the official language of Goa in 1987.

Script and dialect issues

The problems posed by multiple scripts and varying dialects have come as an impediment in the efforts to unite Konkanis. The decision to use Devanagari as official script and Antruz dialect has met with opposition both within Goa and outside it^[13]. The critics contend that Antruz dialect is unintelligible to most Goans, let alone other Konkanis, and that Devanagari is used very little as compared to Roman script in Goa or Kannada script in coastal Karnataka^[13]. Prominent among the critics are Konkani Catholics in Goa, who have been at the forefront of the Konkani agitation in 1986-87 and have for long used the Roman script including producing literature in Roman script. They are demanding that Roman script be given equal status to Devanagari. ^[18]

In Karnataka, which has the largest number of Konkanis, leading organizations and activists have similarly demanded that Kannada script be made the medium of instruction for Konkani in local schools instead of Devanagari. ^[19]

At present no single script or dialect can claim to be understandable or acceptable to all sections. No serious efforts have been made to achieve a consensus on this issue. The lack of a standard dialect which is acceptable to all means that at many times Konkanis interact with other Konkanis in other languages.

Organizations and institutions

There are various organizations working for Konkani but primarily, these were restricted to individual communities. The All-India Konkani Parishad founded on 23 January 1978 served the purpose of providing a common ground for all groups. A new organization known as Vishwa Konkani Parishad which aims to be an all-inclusive and pluralistic umbrella organization for Konkanis around the world was founded on 11th September 2005. ^[20]

Some notable institutions working on Konkani are:

• Konkani Bhasha Mandal,Mumbai^[21]
• Konkani Triveni Kala Sangam, Mumbai ^[22]
• Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr^[23]
• World Konkani Centre: A culture and language centre to be set up in Mangalore. Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK is a Jesuit-run research-institute working on issues related to the Konknni language literature culture and education ^[24]
• Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Pratistan(Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation): The organization building the World Konkani Centre. ^[22]
• Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA). ^[25]
• Dalgado Konkani Academy. ^[26]
• Karnataka Konkani Sahithya Academy. ^[27]
• Konkani Ekvott – an umbrella organization of various Konkani bodies in Goa.
• Vishwa Konkani Sammelan (World Konkani Convention): first held in 1995. ^[24]
• Konkan Daiz Yatra: oldest Konkani organization which was started in the 1939 by Konkani stalwarts in Mumbai. ^[28]

Notable works in Konkani

Cover of Dovtrina Christam by Fr. Thomas Stephens, first published work in Konkani, and any Indian language

• The first known printed book in Konkani was written by an English Jesuit priest, Fr. Thomas Stephens in 1622, and entitled Dovtrina Cristam Em Lingoa Brahmana Canarim (Old Portuguese for: Christian Doctrine in the Canarese Brahman Language). Thomas Stephens (c 1549 Bushton Wiltshire England - 1619 Salcete, Goa, India) was a Jesuit priest Missionary The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order Thomas Stephens (c 1549 Bushton Wiltshire England - 1619 Salcete, Goa, India) was a Jesuit priest Missionary ^[24]
• Konkani Mansagangotri - Prof. Olivinho Gomes
• Vajralikhani - Shenoi Goembab
• Konkani Bhashecho Itihas - Shenoi Goembab
• Sollavea Xekddeantlem Konknni Mhabharot: Adi Porv - collection of 18 stories from the Mahabharat epic. It was written down in the 16th century by a Jesuit in the Roman script using diacritics. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order It is probably the oldest form of Konkani available today.

Miscellaneous facts

• There is some disagreement about whether the name "Konkani" was always the accepted name for the language. The earliest reference to the Konkani language comes in a devotional poem by Sant Namdev(c. Nāmdev ( Nām Dev or Sant Nāmdev) (c1270-c1350 CE was a prominent religious poet of Maharashtra, India in the Hindu tradition 1270-c. 1350 CE) where he has written a stanza in Konkani.
• An international ad campaign by Nike for the 2007 Cricket World Cup featured a Konkani song Rav Patrao Rav as the background theme. Nike Inc ('naɪki ( is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was a Men 's Cricket Tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007 using the sport's It was based on the tune of an older song Bebdo, composed by Chris Perry and sung by Lorna. The new lyrics written by Agnello Dias (who worked in the ad agency that made the ad), recomposed by Ram Sampat and sung by Ella Castellino (article, lyrics).
• A Konkani cultural event Konkani Nirantari held in Mangalore on 26th and 27th January 2008; has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for holding a 40-hour-long non-stop musical singing marathon by beating the Brazilian musical troupe who had previously held the record of singing non-stop for 36 hours. Mangalore ( Kannada:, Mangalūru; Tulu: Kudla, ಕುಡ್ಲ Konkani: Kodial, ಕೊಡಿಯಾಲ್ Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U Brazilians ( brasileiros in Portuguese) are all people born in Brazil ^[29]

See also

• Konkani people
• Konkani words from other languages
• Languages of India
• List of national languages of India
• List of Indian languages by total speakers
• Linguistic issues in Goa

References

External links

• Konkani Sammelan: Biennial event in North America
• Learn GSB Konkani online
• Learn Mangalorean Konkani online
• Ethnologue report for Konkani
• The Origins of the Konkani Language
• Mother Tongue blues by Madhavi Sardesai
• List of Prominent Konkanis
• An excellent article on Konkani history and literature by Goa Konkani Academi
• Online Konkani (GSB) dictionary