Page 65 - Academic and Research Book_WEB

CHAPTER 5

Research in Languages in the Light of Research Ethics

Uma Vaidya

Introduction

Three important issues in the field of Research in Languages are discussed here: Language of
Research, Research Fields in Languages, and Ethics in Language Research. These three are the ever-
present and ever-growing topics in the research field of Languages and Humanities because the
language has wedded human beings from time immemorial and the relation will continue till the
human race exists. The number of languages, their types, and properties have changed from time
to time but the relationship between human beings and language is eternal and it is like a chemical
compound, the components of which cannot be separated easily. Language research started from
the day when man discovered his capacity to speak and to form words for the first time and then
this research has produced countless offshoots extending in different directions and different
regions of the world.

Language Research in Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems

Language research has entered various sciences as the study of vocal organs in physiology, the
study of mental activities taking place in four steps in the process of expression of thought,
which are traditionally called as Para, Pashyanti, Madhyama, and Vaikhari. This process is
very scientifically discussed in Indian linguistics. Indian philosophical thought studied it as
Shabdabrahman and offered the highest status to the language in general and to the word in
particular. In short, the subject of the study of language occupied an important place in ancient
Indian Knowledge Systems.

It must be noted with pride that in the field of Language of Research and Research in Language,
ancient Indian sages were the pioneers. Yaskamuni of 7th Century BCE wrote a treatise entitled
as Nitukta, which explains the principles of Etymology, that is, the science of word-formation.
This was the first text in the world on linguistic inquiry. Taking his work ahead, Panini, the first
and foremost grammarian of Sanskrit-language, compiled the whole edifice of Sanskrit grammar
for all the three forms of Sanskrit Language: Vaidika, Aarsha, and Laukika, in the form of the
text of Ashtadhyayi. This text was the systematic arrangement of grammatical rules and lexicon.
It dates back to approximately the 5th Century BCE. Panini succeeded in his endeavour to the
extent that his work Ashtadhyayi was complimented by the scholar linguist L. Bloomfield as “The
highest monument of human intelligence” (Bloomfield, 1996: 11). Yaskamuni and Panini, the two
stalwarts of India laid the foundation of research in language, more particularly in linguistics. It
is very pertinent to note that even the earliest work on the grammar of Sanskrit contains meta-
language, meta-rules, and other technical devices that make this system effectively equivalent
to the most powerful computing machine. With such a glorious and pioneering tradition of
Language Research, it is very unfortunate that the current generations of India are still to be
convinced about the importance of language research.

54 | University Grants Commission