Yash Baroda
Uttarakhand, India
Abstract
This paper investigates the central role that folklore and oral tradition have in the preservation of regional languages. Under pressure from globalization, which acts against linguistic diversity, local stories, myths, songs, and fables are living repositories of cultural identity and language structure. The paper discusses historical and contemporary cases, traces theoretical constructs of sociolinguistics, and employs a mixed-method approach involving qualitative analysis of literature and quantitative survey data.
Statistical analysis indicates high correlations between communities’ use of folklore and preservation of linguistic features of regional languages. Evidence indicates that participatory community practice through oral tradition can resist language attrition, promote cultural heritage, and strengthen regional identity. Policy solutions involve incorporating folklore into school education and digital databases to safeguard these cultural resources.
Keywords
Folklore, oral tradition, local languages, language conservation, cultural heritage
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