RAL TRADITION IN LANGUAGE PRESERVATION AND REVITALIZATION: A STUDY OF INDIGENOUS NARRATIVES IN PLATEAU STATE

Vera Anap Aaron¹, Innocent N. Dajang²

ABSTRACT

Oral tradition is a vital tool for language preservation and revitalization, especially among indigenous communities facing language endangerment. This study focuses on Plateau State, Nigeria, renowned for its linguistic diversity and threatened by globalizing influences, urbanization, and migration. Drawing on twenty indigenous proverbs from Pan and Anaguta, this paper explores how oral traditions sustain cultural identity and intergenerational transmission of endangered languages. Using ethnographic and qualitative methods, the study examines narratives from the Pan and Iguta-speaking communities to highlight their role in language retention. The theoretical framework is grounded in ethnolinguistics, sociolinguistics, and cultural transmission theory, emphasizing the interplay between language, culture, and identity. The findings reveal that oral traditions play a pivotal role in preserving linguistic heritage by embedding traditional knowledge in daily practices through proverbs and other means. However, challenges such as youth disinterest, lack of institutional support, and declining proficiency threaten their effectiveness. The study advocates for integrating oral traditions into education, community activities, and digital platforms to ensure sustainable language revitalization. Plateau State provides a model for leveraging oral traditions in preserving linguistic and cultural diversity, with lessons applicable to other linguistically endangered regions globally.

Keywords: Endangerment, language revitalization, linguistic heritage, oral tradition, proverbs