Rugadh agus tógadh mé in Assam, in Oirthuaisceart India, in aice leis na Himiléithe. Is é Assam an táirgeoir is mó tae ar domhan, rud a bheas ar eolas agat cheana má ólann tú tae. Is í Asaimis mo theanga dhúchais. Is í Asaimis an teanga Ind-Eorpach is faide soir ar domhan. Is meascán í de ghnéithe de Shanscrait, Peirsis, Tibeto-Sínis agus an tseanchanúint Ainu de chuid na Seapáinise traidisiúnta. D’fhreastail mé ar chlochar Caitliceach sa bhaile agus chaitheas mo chéad chúpla lá ann faoi léigear ag líon na dteangacha a bhí á labhairt. Múintear trí Bhéarla de ghnáth san India, agus mar sin is í an India an dara háit is mó ar domhan a úsáideann Béarla, tar éis na Stáit Aontaithe. Do dhuine ilteangach nach raibh ach ag tosnú leis an scolaíocht, agus í buaillte le drogall deighilte ón teilifís agus ón chuisneoir, sílim gur dhéileáil mé go han-mhaith leis an eispéireas. Béarlóir a bhí ionam ar scoil, agus i ndiaidh an turais ghearr abhaile, Asaimiseoir cainteach cosnochta corrthónach a bhí ionam. Ní féidir píosa a scríobh faoi mo scoil gan trácht ar mo chomhdhaltaí, a tháinig ó gach cearn den India, iad ag labhairt ina dteangacha dúchais féin agus chuile dhuine ag piocadh suas focail nua ó dhaltaí eile i mbealaí fíorshuimiúla. Beidh cuimhne go deo agam ar an íde béil a fuair mé ó mo mháthair nuair a chuireas ceist uirthi faoi fhocal áirithe Hiondúise fad is a bhí sí ag ullmhú tae i gcomhair cuairteora. Thóg sé tamall orm místéir an fhocail sin a fhuascailt ach anois bainim an-leas as agus mé ag éileamh praghas níos fearr sna básair i nDeilí. Tá mé in ann cúig theanga a léamh, a scríobh agus a labhairt go líofa - Béarla, Spáinnis, Asaimis, Hiondúis agus píosa beag de Phuinseáibis. Is é sin, dhá theanga Eorpacha agus trí chinn Indiacha. D’fhoghlaim mé Béarla agus Hiondúis fad is a bhíos ar scoil agus, de bhrí go gcuireann ginias Shakespeare draíocht orm, theastaigh uaim staidéar a dhéanamh ar an Bhéarla san ollscoil. D’athraigh mo chuid tosaíochtaí, ach tá an-ghrá don teanga fós agam. D’fhoghlaim mé Puinseáibis nuair a bhíos ag freastal ar an ollscoil sa Deilí Nua. Teangacha ón Ind Thuaidh is iad an Hiondúis agus an Phuinseáibis. Labhraítear Hindúis in Deilí agus tá sé ar theorainn leis an bPuinseáib, rud a thug deis dom mo chuid Hindúise a chleachtadh nó dul ag damhsa ag bainseacha le hamhráin Phuinseáibeacha agus mé gléasta sa sáirí is fearr agam. Thosaigh mé ag foghlaim Spáinnise mar theanga iasachta nuair a bhíos ag déanamh mo mháistreachta. Cén fath an Spáinnis? Bhuel, is fada mé ag iarraidh liricí d’amhráin Shakira a thuiscint, an béile is fearr liom (enchiladas le ‘Tequila Sunrise’) a ordú agus, ar leibhéal na hintleachta, Lorca a léamh. Anois, is féidir liom dul ó theanga go teanga go héasca, faoi mar a ólaim mo chuid tae glas le líomóid, sinséar agus mil. Moltar go minic mé sa tír álainn seo as Béarla chor a bheith foirfe a bheith agam. Tá mé á labhairt ón mbunscoil. Ní haon díol iontais é. I was born in the North Eastern Indian state of Assam near the Himalayas. Assam is the largest producer of tea in the world, which you would know if you are a tea drinker. Assamese is my mother tongue. It is the easternmost Indo-European language in the world. It is a combination of linguistic elements of Sanskrit, Persian, Tibeto-Chinese and the old Ainu dialect of traditional Japanese. I attended a Catholic convent back in my hometown and the trials and tribulations of my first few days of school were overwhelmed with a litany of languages. The basic medium of education in India is English, which is what makes India the largest English-speaking country after the US. So, for a first-time school-goer stuck between battling separation anxiety from the TV and fridge for so long and living out multiple linguistic personalities, I did a pretty stellar job. I was an English-speaking toddler in class and after the short ride away to the place called home where I could finally run around barefoot, a slightly hyperactive kid blabbering in Assamese. What must also be mentioned were my classmates, from all corners of India, speaking their own different mother tongues (a myriad of Indian languages) and each picking up the others’ words in a most intriguing way. I remember getting my knuckles rapped when I gallantly asked my mother what a particular word in Hindi meant while she was serving tea to visiting neighbours. I could never unravel the mystery back then but now, I use it frequently to denote exasperation while haggling for prices in the bazaars of Delhi. So I read, write and speak fluently in five different languages - English, Spanish, Assamese, Hindi and a bit of Punjabi. That makes two European languages and three Indian languages. English and Hindi were learnt throughout school and being mesmerised by Shakespeare’s genius, I wanted to take up English literature in college. Priorities changed; however, my love for the language still remains unfazed. I picked up Punjabi while attending college in New Delhi. Hindi and Punjabi are chiefly North Indian languages. Delhi being a Hindi-speaking state and that too bordering Punjab opened up newer opportunities to practice the Hindi I learned in school, and also to dance at weddings to Punjabi songs wearing my best saris. I took up Spanish as a foreign language paper while pursuing a Masters at the university. Why Spanish? Well, I always wanted to comprehend Shakira’s lyrics, order my favourite enchiladas with Tequila Sunrise and, on a more intellectual note, to read Lorca. Now I could switch languages as easily as I sip my green tea with added lemon, ginger and honey. I acknowledge everyone I have met here in this beautiful country of Ireland who complimented my speaking near-perfect English; I have been speaking it as long as I have been literate. No surprise there. 5
TCD Multilingual 2015
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