Draft:INDIGENOUS LINGUISTICS


INDIGENOUS LINGUISTICS

This idea has been developed by a research group led by Dr Ghulam Ali. The team include Dr Qadir Abbassi, Dr Furrakh Abbas & Dr Lubna Umar affiliated with Allama Iqbal open University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Indigenous Linguistics refers to specific theories, perspectives, paradigms, approaches and models which attempt to describe, explain and interpret the languages having unique & specific specific linguistic features that may not be fully considered by existing global theories. This phenomenon is often linked with indigenous, less representative or minority languages. These languages offer unique data which may not be fully explained by the global linguistic theories; rather such data found challenging the universal linguistic system. This linguistic phenomenon can be seen from across the globe but mostly in non-English languages. The linguistic inadequacy of Universal Linguistic system for explaining the languages of unique data may be enriched by developing Indigenous Linguistic system. This Indigenous Linguistic system may not only enrich and revitalize the less represented languages rather it will help Learning Machines learn principles of such languages more efficiently. It is a matter of fact that the recently emerging AI context poses more aggravated challenges for such languages which do not correspond to the existing global linguistic theories. Therefore, it is of great significance to brainstorm on developing Indigenous Linguistic System to enrich our linguistically less resourced languages and to provide AI-based Machine with more sophisticated linguistic principles for localization purposes. This approach will contribute the global linguistic theories at large by providing domesticated insights from diverse languages of from the globe. We can have several non-English languages in the world which may not be fully explained by the existing global linguistic theories often seen explaining English or some other large language data. African languages, Sanskrit, Chinese Language, Andean languages, Australian Aboriginal languages, Nepali, South Asian Languages like Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto etc. exhibit the complex linguistic diversity which requires some domestic linguistic theories to explain their unique tonal aspects, grammatical, lexical features and complex morphosyntactic patterns. especially in Bantu languages), complex morphosyntactic patterns (Serial Verb Constructions) etc.


References

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Grenoble, Lenore & Singerman, Adam. (2014). Minority languages. 10.1093/obo/9780199772810-0176.