The implications of trends in Punjabi: As a covert and/or an overt Prestige in Pakistan

Abstract

The present study focuses on the status of the Punjabi language in Pakistan using the conceptual framework of Labov (2006). The researchers intended to find out if Punjabi is used covertly or overtly among its speakers in different contexts. The population comprised 100 participants from 10 randomly selected cities of Punjab, Pakistan. The people, belonged to different professions, were observed for a month and later their opinions were obtained through a well-constructed questionnaire. The findings revealed that Punjabi language is being used covertly amongst Punjabi speakers in Punjab, Pakistan. People are hesitant to use Punjabi in formal settings, whereas they prefer to use Urdu and English in formal situations. The outcomes also explained that under such circumstances where the language is losing its impact on its speakers, rather losing its speakers the language can lose its identity and can become obsolete as time passes.