Mother Tongues

What happened to Indian languages abroad — the tongues the diaspora kept, lost, and remade.

Anchored at the Heritage desk.

About this series

A language is the most intimate thing a diaspora carries, and the first it tends to lose or transform. This series follows the fate of Indian languages overseas — from the new languages born in the cane fields to the mother tongues now fading in their grandchildren's mouths.

Each part is an essay on one language and one community, reported with care for the linguistics and the human story alike.

The series

Fiji Hindi — the language the cane fields made
Published · Read part 1 →
Mauritian Bhojpuri
Published · Read part 2 →
Tamil in Malaysia and Singapore
Published · Read part 3 →
Gujarati in Britain
Published · Read part 4 →
Telugu in America
Published · Read part 5 →
Sarnami Hindustani (Suriname)
Published · Read part 6 →

Other editorial series: See all →