Jazari Language

The Jazari language, also known as Jeseri or Jasari, is a dialect of Malayalam spoken in the Lakshadweep Islands, a Union Territory of India. The name is derived from the Arabic word jazari, meaning “islander”. It is locally referred to as Dweep Bhasha or “island language”. While it is closely related to Malayalam, it has developed distinct phonological and grammatical features due to the geographical isolation of the island communities and their historical interactions with Arab traders.

Background and Nomenclature

The origin of the name Jazari reflects the strong cultural and linguistic influences from the Arab world, with which the islanders had trade and religious ties for centuries. The dialect has traditionally been used for oral communication within the islands, whereas standard Malayalam serves as the language of education, administration, and literature. Despite its classification as a dialect, Jazari has unique characteristics that distinguish it from the Malayalam spoken on the mainland.

Geographic Distribution and Speakers

Jazari is spoken across multiple inhabited islands of Lakshadweep, including Chetlat, Bitra, Kiltan, Kadmat, Amini, Kavaratti, Androth, Agatti, and Kalpeni. Each island has developed its own sub-dialect, creating noticeable variations in vocabulary and pronunciation from one island to another. The total number of speakers is estimated to be around sixty to seventy thousand, though accurate figures are difficult to ascertain due to limited linguistic surveys.

Linguistic Features

Jazari preserves many features of older Malayalam while simultaneously developing distinct variations influenced by local conditions and external contacts.

Phonological Features

• Short initial vowels, especially u, are sometimes dropped. For example, urangi (“slept”) in Malayalam becomes rangi in Jazari.
• Certain consonants shift in sound compared to mainland Malayalam:
  • Initial ch is pronounced as sh (e.g., sholli instead of cholli “said”).
  • Initial p is pronounced as f (e.g., fenn instead of pennu “girl”).
  • Initial v is pronounced as b (e.g., buli or bili instead of vili “call”).

Grammatical Structure

• Nouns and Pronouns: The case endings follow Malayalam patterns but exhibit differences in genitive, dative, instrumental, and locative forms. Personal pronouns for the first, second, and third person also display dialectal variations.
• Verbs:
  • Present tense is formed with the suffix -nna or -nda.
  • Past tense is created through stem changes, such as kaanu (“to see”) becoming kanda (“saw”).
  • Future tense uses the suffix -um.
• Negation: Distinct negative markers include vela for present negative and ela for past negative forms.
• Interrogatives: Questions often employ the particle aa as a suffix, marking them as interrogative.

Cultural and Media Representation

Jazari is primarily a spoken dialect with limited literary or formal use. Cultural preservation occurs largely through oral traditions, folk songs, and storytelling. In modern times, there have been attempts to represent the dialect in media. The film Sinjar is regarded as the first motion picture made in Jazari, featuring songs and dialogues in the dialect. This reflects a growing effort to document and showcase local culture through contemporary art forms.

Significance and Challenges

Jazari is a vital marker of the unique cultural identity of the Lakshadweep islanders. It demonstrates how isolation from the mainland and exposure to external influences can shape the development of dialects within a broader linguistic family. However, the dialect faces several challenges:

• Dialectal fragmentation: Each island’s variant can sometimes hinder mutual understanding.
• Language shift: Younger generations increasingly adopt standard Malayalam or Hindi for education and professional purposes, which may reduce the use of Jazari in daily life.
• Insufficient documentation: Scholarly studies of Jazari remain limited, threatening its long-term preservation.