ebook – Languages ​​of India in diasporas | Indian languages ​​in diasporas

Appasamy Murugaiyan Ed.

The international symposium “Languages ​​of India in Diasporas, Maintenance and Transmission” was held from October 29 to 31, 2015 at the Memorial ACTe in Guadeloupe. Its objective was to make an inventory and to offer a space for exchanges and reflection around the languages ​​of origin within the Indian diasporas in South Africa, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Mauritius, Reunion, Suriname. and Trinidad and Tobago.

The ancient Indian diasporas, resulting from the immigration of agricultural workers under contract (indentured labourers) during European colonization, are the subject of numerous historical, economic, anthropological, social and political studies, while the role and the place of the languages ​​of origin within these Indian diasporas aroused less interest. However, recent studies show that the transmission and maintenance of the language of origin, among all the elements of identity, are very complex processes. The purpose of this Conference was therefore to take stock of the situation and to offer a space for discussion and reflection on these languages. Research work carried out in South Africa, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Mauritius, Reunion, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are brought together in this collection.

The Indian old diasporic communities, who migrated during the European colonial period as indentured workers, have been the subject of many discussions and studies with emphasis on the historical, economical, anthropological, social and political dimensions of migration. However, the presence of Indian languages ​​and their role within these diaspora populations have so far received limited attention. Recent studies have made clear that among all the elements of identity (re)construction, retention and transmission of the language of origin is the most problematic. This Conference was organized in order to provide a forum for discussion and interaction among researchers on the language retention and transmission issues in diasporic contexts. This volume contains research papers from South Africa, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Mauritius, La Réunion, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

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