Hello konkanis!
I am trying to reason out which konkani script to use for the MCV website. The Konkani dataset however will support all other scripts too (multi-orthography). People will still be able to speak/write in their script of choice. But the Mozilla Common Voice (MCV) website cannot be in multiple scripts.
The scripts being used to currently write Konkani are: Devanagari, Romi, Kannadi, Malayalam, and Perso-Arabic.
I invite all konkani speakers to make their points for which script they would prefer for using the website (also please mention where you are from and which dialect you speak).
I have made my own points below in attempt to answer the following questions.
Main Questions:
- Would Konkani in देवनागरी script for MCV website be easy to understand by konkani literates in Karnataka(KA), Goa (GA), Maharashtra (MAH)?
- Given that most of the jobs require us to write and read in english, would Roman script be easier to understand by most speakers of konkani (including MAH, KA, GA)?
- Can Kannadi script be understood by GA and MAH speakers? (Its an obvious no, given that they either use devnagri or roman script to read and write)
- Can konkani speakers from MAH and KA understand the words/vocabulary spoken in Goa?
Important note
- Other scripts will still be supported in one of the databases. This is only a discussion for website language.
Brief notes about the konkani language
- Konkani is mainly spoken in Goa. But Goans are not the only ones who speak konkani. On the map, there is a konkan region. The northern part of konkan region is in Maharashtra, the central part in Goa, and the southern part in karnataka.
- Konkani is officially recognised as an individual language as per the Language Census 1977 by the Govt. Of India. It is not a dialect of Marathi.
- Goan Konkani, Maharashtrian Konkani and Karnataka Konkani are broad categories of the Konkani variants/dialects. But even inside these states, there are differences in speaking and writing.
- Within Goa, the Antruz variant is pushed as the standard in schools and colleges. But there are more variants/dialects classified under “Goan Konkani” such as bardesi and saxtti.
- In Karnataka, the konkani dialects are GSB (Gaude Saraswat Brahmin) and GSC (Gaude Saraswat Christian Brahmin).
- Lobab on https://extraetc.wordpress.com, says:
Any effort of thrusting one dialect as the standard – such as what is happening in Goa, will lead into the disintegration of the language, slowly but surely!
- While on wikipedia under “current status and issues”, it reads:
Konkani language has been in danger of dying out over the years, one of the reasons being the fragmentation of Konkani into various, sometimes mutually unintelligible, dialects.
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While the website in roman script would be easier to read for most young people, they might not know some rules such as ‘m’ and ‘n’ being used for nasalized vowels. Forcing roman script on all konkani speakers would deter contributors because they might not understand the words. Apart from nasalization, there is also vowel substitution for most words (अ in devanagari script is changed to ऑ in roman script).
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Devnagri website would be easier to translate in other languages, but difficult to read due to the presence of modifiers above and below the letters. Sometimes 2-3 letters are combined and it looks very complicated on screen - making it really difficult to read. But then devanagari users can change their font size.
Konkani in Karnataka (Canara, canarese)
- The Question Papers (search google for
konkani language karnataka question papers) of recent (2017-2024) final year of high school (10th standard) exams in Konkani Subject are in both Devanagari and Kannada writing scripts in the State of Karnataka. - However, as the konkani syllabus/curriculum is prepared mainly in the kannada script, it indicates that KA students are reading & writing mainly in that script.
- Class 10 Hindi Subject exams are conducted in devanagari script (
search google), but it is kept as 3rd language. Meaning they can choose to study some other language in place of hindi. Which means some of them might not get their dose of devanagari script learning. - Kannada language (in same script) is taught as either the 1st or 2nd language for schools upto 10th std. English is also either 1st or 2nd language.
- Conclusion: Speakers of this konkani variant may not find it easy to understand websites in devanagari.
- KARNATAKA SCHOOL EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT BOARD website
Konkani in Maharashtra
- There is no mention of “Konkani” as a subject for schools of SSC and HSC on maharashtra board of education. Hence I haven’t been able to retrieve exam question papers of previous years.
- There is mention of “Konkan Divisional Board” under the Maharashtra Education Board which may be teaching konkani in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. But, i have not found source to a single question paper. I tried contacting the konkan divisional board by email, but “the address was not reachable”.
- They obviously will use Devanagari script to write konkani, as marathi is also written in devanagari.
- (Based on News) Speaking and Studying Marathi is “mandatory by law without exception” in Maharashtrian schools.
- ?Can speakers of this variant understand websites translated in “standard” Goan Konkani?
- Maharashtrian konkani is in gray area of being a dialect of marathi and dialect of konkani.
Konkani in Goa
- The Question Papers for konkani subject exams in 10th, 11th, 12th standard (schools and pre-university) are in devanagari script ONLY in the State of Goa (search google
konkani language goa board question papers). (Only Q.P. of 10th class in years 2018 and 2019 are uploaded. I am not aware of any changes made to the konkani subject after NEP 2020 was implemented.) - 10th std. Konkani Assessment Scheme prepared by Goa Board of Secondary Education is also written in devanagari script.
- Konkani is the local language of the people of Goa.
- Devanagari is given more attention during the formation of new words. It is the official writing script for konkani used in schools and govt. officies in the State of Goa.
- Roman script is currently used mainly by christians in bibles, select weeklies, magazines and theatre-drama (tiartr).
- Naturally, there is a large number of people in Goa who have studied konkani in devanagari script.
- (Politics) No proposal to include Konkani written in Roman script in Goa’s official language Act: CM Sawant
Kerala Konkani
- Survey on konkani in State of Kerala done in 1971
- Kochi has konkani speakers? Which script do they use? Are they following a standard?