Bhaskar Parichha
Anecdotal writings make for fascinating read just as they drop hints about an individual and his preferencs.Also, ‘notable’ examples are better remembered than ‘typical’ examples. Prof. Bibhudendra Narayan Patnaik aka BN Patnaik’s book ‘Language Matters’ fits into that genre of writing which provokes delight and at the same time reveals a truth. The book is a collection, as the blurb claims, of ‘unpublished’ essays or thoughts on language, education and society.
A linguist, a teacher and widely-published author, Prof Patnaik spent most part of his teaching profession at IIT Kanpur, where he taught linguistics and English. He has written the first partial generative grammar of Odia, published papers on a range of topics in linguistics and language pedagogy and is a co-editor of Noam Chomsky’s ‘The Architecture of Language.’ Currently devoted to Sarala Mahabharata, he is the person behind introducing this fifteenth century Odia epic and retelling it as interpretation.
Neatly divided into a little over thirty chapters, each chapter in the present book is a story with a point. With such varied interest in Generative Syntax, History of Ideas in Generative Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Communication, Odia Folklore, the book couldn’t have less varied.
What makes ‘Language Matters’ remarkable is the witty pieces with a tinge of biographical origin. Primarily a collection of short incidents from childhood and extending to his times as a linguistic teacher, these memoirs are filled with nostalgia and also a bit of philosophizing.
According to Prof Patnaik, these short essays are ‘informal discussions expressed in a semi-narrative mode’. Written over five years, the chapters are free-wheeling to say the least: from Umberto Eco’s shopping delight to English medium schools; from Kamsa, the dreadful uncle to the baggage of English; An Income Tax matter to Camaraderie culture. Then, the book has entirely a local flavor: Odia Almanac, Classical Odia Languages, and Haunted House of Puri and, of course, Sarala Mahabharata and science. Interestingly, ‘Language Matters’ has five chapters on football – an incisive analysis of the 2014 World Cup and Brazil’s Cup of woes.Prof Patnaik looks as if is a football aficionado and ,therefore, his observations are focused rather than humdrum.
Detective stories in Odia a la Les Miserables are a few and far between. There is a whole chapter in this anthology of essays on how Odia detective stories evolved and how he used to read these books in adulthood surreptitiously.
The book is undeniably ‘inclusive’ in nature and is a sentimental journey into the good old days. Peppered with Odia flavor and reference about customs and practices in Odisha’s hinterland makes the book an all-time appeal. Lucidly written and insightful, it is a must- read for students and academics who have interest in language and culture.
Kudos to Dhauli Books for bringing out such a masterly book full of vim and vigor. The cover design by Ritesh Kumar has vaults of Lalitgiri and is a fitting compliment to the seminal work. If language is what really matters in day-to-day life, this is a fabulous addition to the superstructure of communication.
Language Matters by BN Patnaik
Dhauli Books
818/2502, Gobindeswar Road, Old Town, Bhubaneswar- 751002
(The writer is a senior journalist and currently associated with OdishaLIVE as Consulting Editor. You can share your comment with him at content(@)odisha(dot)live)
