ABSTRACT
In this article, the writer Joginder Paul validates the dynamic modifications of language as it moves from one generation to another, and also, as it transports from one locale to another. Every generation carries the burden of a legacy but what is significant is to be able to blend the same with its own times. That local cultural realities necessarily get reflected in the use of language is demonstrated well in the way Urdu acquires different colours in different cities. The linguistic aspects of each culture – Pashto, Punjabi, Marathi, Sindhi, etc. – get reflected in the kind of Urdu that evolved in the region. By giving examples from Krishan Chander, Balwant Singh, and Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi’s different usages of Urdu, the writer of the essay discusses how the contours of the language absorb fresh meanings and nuances, thus expanding the range of the language itself. In fact, referring to the value of the ‘spoken word,’ the article indicates how the inner scapes of the ‘written’ word come alive with the use of the spoken word in fiction. The task of the writer is to breathe life into words, and for that the reader too is led to play a significant role in creating the story.
