Damian Marcus Podtung
Open University, Malaysia

Language shift and attitude to Kadazandusun

Key words: Language shift, pluricentric language, language attitude, language extinction, language assimilation, language accommodation, language policy, language standardization, native-pluricentric, Kadazandusun.

This research study attempts to explore the sociolinguistic theory of pluricentric languages in relation to the Kadazandusun language that fulfil some of the underlying criteria as a pluricentric language. But the phenomena of language shift and language attitude have changed overtime. Before the formation of the federation of Malaysia in 1957, the Kadazandusun language was the dominant language in the state (formerly a nation) of Sabah. However, the formation of the federation of Malaysia which comprised the Malay peninsula (Malaya), Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Brunie (Singapore and Brunie withdrew from the federation) the Malay language was declared the official language that serves to unite the multiracial communities.
This transition period has caused the eventful phenomena of language shift that threaten the Kadazandusun language as dominant language by giving it a status as a mother tongue language and non-dominant language at national level. The Kadazandusun language comprised 43 ethnic groups characterized by their own dialect with distinct similarities. Instants of ethnic animosity prompted the unification of the native people called “BUMIPUTRA” or sons of the soil, to unite for political reason. The term “Kadazandusun” relates to the unification of two major dialects the Kadazan and the Dusun denying the other 41 ethnic groups. Following the unification, a standard Kadazandusun language was formulated and incorporated into the national curriculum in 1989 and endorsed by the federal constitution.
The standardization of the Kadazandusun language mark the beginning of a new era of language shift where the new system was considered linguistically poor and experiencing dilution as a result of language assimilation and language accommodation. On top of that many unwritten kadazandusun lexicon was lost in addition to the new generation who are not well-acquainted with the language.
This paper attempts to re-look into the case of the Kadazandusun language residing in the majority speech community in Tambunan which is once a dominant language but reduced to native-pluricentric language due to language shift and language attitude towards the language. Factors contributing to language shift are presented and historical analyses provide possible solutions and avenue to re-look into the impact of linguistic uncertainty.