Nazrin B Laskar | Aligarh Muslim University (original) (raw)

Papers by Nazrin B Laskar

Interdisciplinary Journal of Linguistics, 2023

The European plantation creoles have been analyzed by creating a schism between the superstratum ... more The European plantation creoles have been analyzed by creating a schism between the superstratum and substratum languages in most studies. Generally, the lexicon of creoles is restructured to the extent that it becomes often difficult to trace its lexifier languages. In this paper, we make an attempt to scrutinize the 'basic and the cultural' lexicon of Bishnupriya Manipuri, a lesser-known contact language spoken in parts of Assam and Tripura in NorthEast India. The structure and distribution of these semantic categories of lexicon enable us to locate the sociohistorical and demographic contact of the language varieties of two distinct language families, Eastern Indo-Aryan, and Tibeto-Burman that lead to the creation of Bishnupriya Manipuri. This study reveals that identifying and filtering the lexifier language in Bishnupriya Manipuri is not possible given the complex process of multiple contacts among diverse linguistic and cultural groups that led to the emergence of Bishnupriya Manipuri. This study shows how lexicon can provide cues in tracing the genetic composition of a contact language, especially in Indian context.

Opil 48-49, 2023

This paper delves on how lexicon can be utilized to determine the genetic affiliation of Milky, a... more This paper delves on how lexicon can be utilized to determine the genetic affiliation of Milky, a language spoken by a particular Sheikh community in Bihar. The Milky speakers perceive their speech to be a variety of Urdu and is divergent from Bhojpuri with which it actually co-exists. Lexicon has been used for establishing the genetic relationships between languages. This study endeavors to unravel the genetic heritage of Milky by undertaking a systematic comparison of both basic and cultural lexicon of Milky with Urdu and Bhojpuri.

Variation in indigenous minority …, 2009

... Page 463. 454 Shobha Satyanath and Nazrin B. Laskar 6. Diachrony of clitics and classifier ma... more ... Page 463. 454 Shobha Satyanath and Nazrin B. Laskar 6. Diachrony of clitics and classifier marking We now provide a brief comparison with the data available from earlier Bishnu-priya (the only earlier specimens documented in Grierson 1903). ...

Journal of Arabic Linguistics Tradition Vol 21, 2023

This paper investigates the transition of consonantal roots from Classical Arabic (CA) to Modern ... more This paper investigates the transition of consonantal roots from Classical Arabic (CA) to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Upon comparing the occurrence of triliteral roots in two dictionaries, a CA dictionary (CAD) and a MSA dictionary (MAD), we find that about half of the triliteral roots in CAD do not recur in MAD. This, we argue, can be ascribed to a number of explanations derived from linguistic, historical-sociocultural, methodological and technical factors. Applying these factors highlights the importance of consonantal roots as raw materials in Semitic languages and contributes to diachronic studies in lexical change, viewed from a functional perspective, providing further insights into why and how CA changed, and what kind of lexical items would potentially survive in MSA and its upcoming dictionaries. Beside providing evidence on how the language is used, the study discusses various documentation issues in CAD and how MAD's lexicographers deal with them.

ALIGARH JOURNAL OF LINGUISTICS VOL 9, 2020

This is a study of the morpho-syntactic features of the nominal categories in Dooar Sadri, which ... more This is a study of the morpho-syntactic features of the nominal categories in Dooar Sadri, which is part of our on-going research. Sadri is used as a lingua franca among the various tribal communities in the tea gardens of North Bengal, popularly known as the Dooars region. These diverse tribal groups were brought in from the tribal belts of present day, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh by the British to expand their plantation economy. At present, Sadri has become the native language of these implanted population commonly known as tea-tribes. Through the analysis of the morpho- syntactic features of the nouns and pronouns in Dooar Sadri, this study makes an attempt to provide fresh insights in our understanding of a contact language that emerged as a result of interactions between highly inflectional languages.

Aligarh Journal of Linguistics vol10 (1), 2020

This paper delineates the phonology of a contact language, Bishnupriya. Bishnupriya emerged due t... more This paper delineates the phonology of a contact language, Bishnupriya. Bishnupriya emerged due to interactions between Eastern Indo-Aryan (Assamese, Bengali) and Tibeto-Burman (Meitei) languages in Manipur. Hence Bishnupriya shares morpho-syntactic features of both Eastern Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman languages existing in the region where Bishnupriya is spoken. In this paper, an attempt is being made to study the phonology of Bishnupriya from the standpoint of language contact. The aim of this study is to see (i) whether Bishnupriya possesses the phonological properties of Eastern Indo-Aryan or Tibeto-Burman languages or (ii) does it reflect a mixed phonology with properties of both Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman languages or (iii) is it independent of these languages. This will further our understanding of the phonology of a contact language like Bishnupriya, in a contact situation.

Aligarh Journal of Linguistics VOL 10 (1), 2020

Foundation Books, Oct 27, 2011

Variation in Indigenous Minority Languages, Impact 25, 2009

This paper discusses variable patterns of overt marking in Bishnupriya NP structure. The main int... more This paper discusses variable patterns of overt marking in Bishnupriya NP structure. The main interest of the paper lies in the use of animacy-based classifier clitics (clf) which may be located on the head of a noun phrase, on one or more dependents, on both the head and the dependent(s) or on neither (i.e., zero marking). The variation in marking appears to be intimately linked with the structure of NP, variability in word order of NP constituents (i.e., head and the dependents), and the occurrence of the pronominal/numeral clitics (cl). The presence of cl itself is variable. The connection between the variable patterns of marking (of both clf and cl) and the variation in the ordering of head and dependent is explained in terms of bilinguality that is deeply embedded into the linguistic structure of Bishnurpriya. The duality of structure, it is argued here, serves as the symbolic marker of dual linguistic and ethnic identity of the Bishnupriyas as Bishnupriya Manipuri.

INDIAN LINGUISTICS 83 (1-2), 2022

The Kohistani group of Dardic languages are spread across the Swat and Indus Kohistan regions in ... more The Kohistani group of Dardic languages are spread across the Swat and Indus Kohistan regions in Northern Pakistan. A small concentration of Kohistani speakers reside in Ganderbal and Kupwar Districts in Kashmir, India, where they co-exist with other languages. In existing literature, Kohistani has been attested as a variety of either Kashmiri or Shina. In this paper, we provide a description of the morphosyntactic features of the nominal categories in Kohistani as spoken in Ganderbal district in Kashmir. We have discussed the morphosyntactic properties of nouns, pronominals and adjectives in Ganderbal Kohistani by analysing a huge corpus of natural data. In addition, we also present an analysis of numeral expressions in this variety. The aim of this study is to understand the grammar of the nominal categories in Ganderbal Kohistani and delineate its position in relation to other languages existing in the region.

North East Indian Linguistics

Dil ve Dilbilimi Çalışmaları Dergisi

IMPACT: Studies in Language and Society, 2009

North East Indian Linguistics, 2008

Books by Nazrin B Laskar

Lincom Academic Publishers, 2024

Teaching AECC and SEC the compulsory papers at Delhi University undergraduate level puts a tremen... more Teaching AECC and SEC the compulsory papers at Delhi
University undergraduate level puts a tremendous challenge to the
teachers teaching the same to students coming from diverse
linguistic backgrounds and/or vernacular medium schools. The
purpose of AECC English is to make students develop their skills
of ‘reading’, ‘writing’, ‘listening’ and ‘speaking’, in another way,
make them learn English properly. But my experience as a teacher
is quite different and the same has been noted by many of my
colleagues. The AECC English contains the usual and common
contents like communication theories, writing, reading and
speaking exercises. However, it puts a serious challenge when it
comes to students with non-English medium school backgrounds.
Whereas students from English medium backgrounds are very
much fluent with the basic requirements of a language learning the
non-English medium students lack even the basic fluency to start
with. Experts and syllabus makers have tried to address this issue
in recent years, however, we are yet to assess its success.
By questioning the structure of the syllabus of AECC and GE
courses offered for the purpose of ‘teaching/developing the English
language’ this paper shall argue how the university fails to justify
teaching and learning English to non-English medium students,
leaving a great void in the pedagogy and this void exists not only in DU rather a pan-Indian problem, stressing on the differences
between English and non-English medium students. The paper
shall further argue that such courses, rather than making students
from non-Eng. medium learn for empowerment marginalizes them
further. They trail poorly in professional workplaces and mostly
those students achieve success who already come from English
medium schools.