Navigating Identity: A Study of the Khasis in Meghalaya's Multilingual Borderlands

Abstract

This paper attempts to study the factors that influence identity perception of the Khasis in a language contact environment in four borders of Meghalaya. The study finds that the ecology of contact, intermarriage, and migration play a significant role in shaping the linguistic and cultural identity perception of the Khasis. The study also demonstrates that the language that people use in a particular community is not just a matter of communication, but is also influenced by the social and cultural context of the contact environment. Apart from utility and value, the kind of motivation associated with language can perceptively affect one’s language and cultural identity. The study provides valuable insights into the complex factors that influence cross-border multilingualism and its impact on identity formation. The findings of the study have implications for the understanding of multilingualism in a contact situation on one hand, and the underpinnings of language and cultural in identity formation.