A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Maithili Language of Dhanusha District

Abstract

The survival of the Maithili language depends on the attitude of the speakers, ethnic commitment and social integration from within the community and research by linguists and language planners. The research provides important background information and introductory analyses on the distinctive features of the language based on authenetic data, fact and minute observations rather than superficial observations and hearsays. This small-scale sociolinguistic profile will enable us to develop informed conclusion about the use of the Maithili dialect, attitude of the native speakers towards Maithili language, their attitude towards other languages and similarities and differences in lexical and syntactic structures across the Terai region of Nepal. Thus, the focus of the present study has been both to display the reality concerning the Maithili language and to provide at least some ground work for further studies.