A Sociolinguistic appraisal of vocabulary items used in Assamese Folk songs and Proverbs

Is language related to culture? Do rituals performed in a community provide a window to the verbal repertoire of that community? To what extent do proverbs and folk songs available in a particular language illustrate the behavioural patterns and mode of living of a particular society? Do linguistic structures constrain the flow of our thought process or is our mental cognition of perception instrumental in the emergence of new vocabulary items in a language? These issues can be addressed in the wider spectrum of Assamese language and the sociocultural ethos of Assamese life style as reflected in rituals, proverbs, folk songs etc. They are generally the manifestation of sociocultural reality which provides a glimpse into the cultural mode and behavioural patterns of a particular group of people. In Assamese language there are many proverbs which mirror the unique values as well as assumptions that constitute the colourful tapestry of Assamese culture. Assamese folk songs, ranging from Bihu songs, sung during the spring season and marriage songs to Aai naam (devotional songs in praise of the goddess and, Nisukoni geet (cradle songs) are endowed with the potentiality of transcending the barriers of time and space by virtue of universal appeal. The credit for this lies in the songs ’ lyrics, deeply rooted in Assamese soil and culture. As far as the methodology of this paper is concerned, it is partly based on the empirical observation of some rituals of Assamese community from a linguistic perspective and partly on a critical appraisal of some famous proverbs and folk songs available in this language