Chapter Fourteen

Codes of false demeanours

Another illustration of the working procedure of feudal languages can be given.

The urge to act traitorous could be more due to the necessitation compelled by the codes of feudal languages, than due to a personal failing of the person. In feudal languages, these things are encoded as a sort of everyday event and functionality.

A very minute illustration can be given.

In an ordinary situation, when one refers about someone who is by social status, or official position or age or financial acumen higher, in his presence, to others, one would have to use the higher indicant, ‘respectful’ words.

If this is not done, it would be an act of great insolence and impertinence, quite near to a criminal action. For, it would be degrading, and an act of social, or positional indiscipline.

Doing this correctly would be seen as a very correct action.

However, there would be many occasions when this kind of relative subordination would not be enjoyed by those who have to exhibit the subordination. For, the relative lower stature gets published in the social circles.

As a way to assuage their hurt ego and mental stature, in the absence of the verbally ‘respected’ person, they would use non-respectable’ verbal codes to refer to him or her.

For instance, the same person whom they had referred to as ‘Adheham’ (highest Him/He), ‘Avar’ (highest Him/He/Her/She), Saar’ (highest Him/He/Her/She), Chettan (elder person male), Chechi (elder person female), etc., they would refer to publicly as ‘Avan’/’Oan’ (lowest he/him), ‘Aval’/‘Oal’ (lowest she/her) &c. , when he or she is not present in the scene.

These kinds of very powerful verbal code oscillations are experienced by persons, who have meagre powers of authority or powers of prosecution/punishing, yet have some claim for relative positional stature.

The relative lower persons feel compelled to acknowledge their positional subordination in their presence. However, the moment they are not there, they will find it quite entertaining to remove the verbal codes that keep them subordinate. And publish it loud and clear.

To enact the same kind of rude and boorish behaviour in planar languages such as English, one would have to deliberately use bad words. However, in feudal languages, the same can be achieved without seeming to have done any misdemeanour.

There are a number of similar kinds of evil mischievous verbal codes lying spread out in the social communication systems of the South Asian Subcontinent. They have very powerfully influenced the pathway of history of this subcontinent.