KOCHI: There was a time when concerns were raised over the Malayalam language’s charm fading away. Many were, in fact, aghast at the trend of Malayali youngsters ‘boasting’ that they were not fluent in their mother tongue. Things, however, seem to have changed for the better. Malayalam’s popularity has been rising, especially after Covid struck. Readers of Malayalam literature have increased, and students are learning and using the language more – with pride.
Moreover, thanks to a new wave of Malayalam films and songs, many words and phrases from the language are getting popular even among non-Malayalis. The NRK community, too, is giving a major thrust on popularising the language. Notably, a couple of days ago, a Malayalam school was inaugurated in the UK, courtesy the Malayalam Mission.
Award-winning writer S Hareesh is certain that Malayalam’s popularity is rising. “Languages constantly evolve. The Malayalam we speak is completely different from the language 500 years ago. New phrases and new words have come up; that’s a positive sign,” he says.
“Moreover, many words have gained new meanings. We also borrow words from other languages, from English to Hindi and Tamil, and make them our own. Words like adipoli are now used in various contexts, not just by Malayalis.”
Hareesh cites the example of the word ‘bhayankaram’. “Once it was used to indicate something scary. Nowadays, however, it is widely used in positive contexts as well,” he adds.
The subconscious compulsion to use English in conversations – which many people nurtured some years ago – is gradually disappearing, he notes. “We love learning new languages, be it English, Hindi or others. However, Malayalam remains in the hearts of people,” says Hareesh. “However, every language dies at some point of time. Malayalam might, too… hundreds of years later. That is inevitable. But it will not happen anytime soon.”
More takers for Malayalam literature
Malayalam literature and cinema, Hareesh highlights, have been boosting the language’s popularity. “Our films are drawing pan-India attention. Many Malayalam books are getting translated into other languages,” he says. “Also, an increasing number of youths use Malayalam keypads to chat these days. The way we use the language is changing.”
Sreekumar A V, the publishing manager of DC Book, is as buoyant as Hareesh. “Readership for Malayalam books has gone up after the pandemic. Though most prefer fiction, biographies and poetry are not far behind,” he says.
“Also, now the literary language has become much more inclusive. Regional dialects – from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram – are getting popularised through books.” Novels and short stories were always open to spoken Malayalam, says Sreekumar. “Now, poetry has also become flexible, much freer in terms of vocabulary and styles,” he adds.
“Various poems using tribal languages – that are very close to Malayalam but include hitherto unheard usages – are gaining popularity. These trends certainly indicate the increasing love for the language.”
Madhusudanan, who has been selling books for the past 40 years in Kochi, concurs. “Malayalam remains the most popular literary language in Kerala,” he asserts. “A new breed of readers emerged after the lockdown period. The Malayali has regained the love for the written word.”
Our beloved ‘Eli Kutty’ teacher
New Zealander Eliza Keaton is known among Malayalis as ‘Eli Kutty’, the beloved Malayalam teacher. “I first started learning Malayalam when I met my husband, who is from Kerala. We were working in the UAE then. I studied by myself and have used various tutors since 2017,” she says.
Now Eliza offers free classes online for beginners every Monday. The number of students who want to learn Malayalam has been on the rise, she says. “I have about 50 students from across the world, and even different parts of India,” she adds.
‘Not getting due importance’
Not all are bullish about Malayalam’s popularity. Two days ago, prolific poet V Madhusoodanan Nair lamented the fate of the language. “It is languages that refine humans. The world is now turning to their native languages. It’s not English that people are now trying to learn and master; people are seeking mastery over their mother tongues,” he said at an event ahead of the Mother Language Day.
“Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese are being followed massively. In Japan, even science is being taught in Japanese. But Keralites are not giving Malayalam its due importance.” General education department director Jeevan Babu, meanwhile, is worried that Malayalam as a subject is turning less popular among students. “Even on social media, they use English or ‘Manglish’,” he says.
Jeevan adds the department has been organising various programmes to instil a love for Malayalam. “Though students speak the language, many don’t see the need to gain proficiency in reading and writing,” he says.
Jessy Narayanan, secretary of Thiruvananthapuram-based Malayalam Pallikoodam, also believes students are reluctant to learn their mother tongue. “Once upon a time, Malayalam was considered the easiest subject. However, now it has turned out to be one of the toughest subjects,” she says.
The concept of “Malayalam medium” will soon become a thing of the past, adds Jessy. Jessy points out that the Malayalam alphabet or ‘aksharamala’ – which had been removed from textbooks some years ago – was reintroduced only in the second half of the current academic year.
“We cannot blame anyone,” she says. “That is why we started Malayalam Pallikoodam where language education is done in a fun, experiential manner. We have 200 students.” The principal of Greets Public School in Kochi, Jaya Sabin, believes there is “no downward trend in the love for Malayalam among students”. However, she adds, language proficiency has been impacted due to online education, and increased use of mobile phones.
Youngsters speak
Thiruvananthapuram native Niveditha Mohan, 20, who is studying at St Theresa’s College in Kochi, says that she loves reading Malayalam literature. “My favourite works are Randamoozham and Manju by M T Vasudevan Nair. I also love Draupadi by Pratibha Rai. I like reading books translated from English, too,” she says.
Niveditha adds she is a film buff, too. “I love using phrases from Malayalam films. My favourite is ‘ellathinum athintethaya samayam undu, Dasa’ from ‘Nadodikattu’,” she says. “Many of my friends, however, prefer to converse in English over Malayalam. While at school, it was compulsory to speak only in English. Many schools had a rule that students caught speaking in Malayalam would have to pay a fine. This may have impacted our communication skills.”
Her friend Maria Anaida Stephen juts in: “I am one of them. I am not that comfortable using my own mother tongue,” she says. Maria, however, loves Malayalam films and slang. “The new hit phrase is ‘nee shooperada’ (‘you are superb’ in meme lingo),” she adds.
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Not just in Kerala, for the past some years, Malayalam movies are being watched by people from all over India, says popular Instagrammer Prapti Elizabeth, who lives in Delhi. “Minnal Murali was a big hit. Mammotty and Fahadh Faasil have huge fans here,” she adds. “Words like ‘chumma’, ‘adipoli’, ‘da’ etc are now used by many non-Malayalis as well.”
International Mother Language Day - February 21.
Since 1999, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced a special day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, the world has been observing the day. This year, the United Nations is calling for mother-language-based education in countries.
With inputs from Salma Thaj and Anu Kuruvilla