Translating Orality: Documentation and Preservation of the Language of the Lotha Nagas with reference to Nzanmongi Jasmine Patton’s A Girl Swallowed by a Tree

Abstract

Documentation and preservation of endangered and vulnerable indigenous languages are imperative not only to protect linguistic diversity and stimulate theoretical research but also to preserve a rich indigenous worldview. However, documentation and preservation of these indigenous languages would not be complete without a translation venture. Translating orality often soars beyond mere linguistic transposition to involve a more meticulous navigation between preserving linguistic and cultural aspects of oral traditions and adapting them to a literary form. The Lotha Nagas, one of the major indigenous tribes of Nagaland, rely heavily on oral narratives transmitted across generations through their language, Lotha. But owing to the dearth of institutionalised support and a gap in the intergenerational transfer, Lotha faces the threat of extinction. Thus, Nzanmongi Jasmine Patton makes an attempt to document, translate, and preserve Lotha, through her book, A Girl Swallowed by a Tree. To fortify the language against being lost into oblivion, Patton collects Lotha Naga tales and retells them in English. However, cultural references ingrained in the source language might not always be smoothly translated into English without losing their innate properties. Patton thereby chooses to retain in the heart of the text some Lotha words that are culturally untranslatable. Drawing on key theoretical frameworks from Linguistic Anthropology and Translation Studies, this paper seeks to read select Lotha Naga tales and examine how documentation of the Lotha language not only serves as a means of cultural survival but also provides oral storytelling with an impetus. The paper shall also try to explore the problems and prospects of translating indigenous oral narratives into a literary text.