Videography-based documentation of the language of Parsis in Gujarat and Maharashtra

The Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) provides grants worldwide to for the linguistic documentation of endangered language and knowledge. Grantees create multimedia collection of endangered languages. These collections are preserved and made freely available through the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) housed at the library of SOAS University of London.

Parsi Gujarati is a minor vernacular language of a Parsi (Indian Zoroastrian) ethnoreligious community in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is primarily spoken by the elders and inextricably linked with the unique Parsi identity: its culture, religious ceremonies, arts, crafts, professions, oral expressions and folklore. The project aims at comprehensive videography-based documentation of PG through a text corpus with audio-visual recordings of naturally generated discourse occurring around extinguishing lifecycle rituals such as unique Parsi-Zoroastrian funerals exclusively performed by few hereditary corpse-bearers and context-dependent idioms, a PG distinguishing feature; and a dictionary with terms arising from rituals and traditional arts and crafts. Primary investigator: Anton Zykov

Project Details


Location: India, Southern Asia, Asia Organiser(s): Endangered Languages Documentation Programme Project partner(s): INALCO, Mondes iranien et indien: UMR 7528 (was EPHE) Funder(s): Arcadia Funding received: £103,338.00 Commencement Date: 01/2013 Project Status: Active
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