Research Articles

Colonial transformations of song and multilingualism in Tibet

---

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss song as both an expression and instantiation of language ideologies, examining the ways in which songs, particularly lyrics, explicitly reflect on language issues: praising, demeaning, naming, and describing languages and their use in relatively transparent terms. Secondly, I look at how music enables us to deduce implicit language ideologies, not so much through what is said, but how it is said. Examining patterns of language use in song, including forms of speech, participants, and contexts highlights the perceived value and appropriateness attached to different forms of language. My aim here is to explore how colonialism has transformed language ideologies in ways that contribute to language oppression.

I focus on unrecognized or minoritized languages of Tibet, spoken by people formally designated by the People‘s Republic of China as Tibetans (most of whom accept this classification, but some do not). Each language is spoken by relatively few people (in the thousands), typically within comparatively small areas. They are almost always considered to be non-standard, non-prestigious speech forms by Tibetans who do not speak them, and are found throughout Tibet, in each of the main ethno-linguistics regions of Amdo, Kham, and U-Tsang, but concentrated in eastern Tibet. ...

Keywords: Colonial transformations, Song, multilingualism, Tibet, Amdo, Kham, U-Tsang

How to Cite:

Roche, G., (2020) “Colonial transformations of song and multilingualism in Tibet”, Language Documentation and Description 19, 99-129. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd68