THF Talk Series #1
The Story of Language and the Language of Story
A lecture by Prof G N Devy
Thursday, 25 January
6 PM | On Zoom
Please register via the link here.
As the inaugural event in the THF Talk Series, Prof Devy reflected on his extensive research encompassing the evolution of languages employed by homo sapiens, and how and why language itself needs to be seen as a narrative of the universe. He further posits that every story creates a unique language that is tailored to the purpose of that narrative.
Devy shared his readings of folk stories, emphasizing their importance, and the difficulties related to documentation. By contemplating on the recording and studying of languages, particularly in the context of linguistic surveys conducted over numerous years, Devy expanded on the relationships between language, stories, identity, and how they shape our perceptions of time and space.
Bio:
G. N. Devy, writer, thinker and cultural activist is currently Director, School of Civilisation at the Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Bombay. He has authored and edited over a 100 books on subjects ranging from Literature, Linguistics, Philosophy, Education, Anthropology and History. He was formerly Prof. of English at the M. S. University of Baroda and has been an Obaid Siddiqui Chair Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore. He initiated and led the People's Linguistic Survey of India with a large team and documented over 700 languages. Last year, he brought out (with Tony Joseph and Ravi Korisettar) The Indians: Histories of a Civilisation, with a team of about 100 historians covering the past of the subcontinent over the last 12000 years. At present, he is working on a comprehensive history of the world's civilisations. He is known as a champion of cultural rights. He has received many awards and honors including the Padma Shri.