CASE FOR BASE: THE NOTION OF BASE LANGUAGE IN KASHMIRI- ENGLISH CODE MIXING

 

The concept of a base or host or matrix language on the one side and guest language on the other side in instances of code mixing/ switching has been issue of debate for quite some time. Most scholars have not given due credence to this notion, with only a few explicitly taking this notion into consideration (Joshi and Doron 1983, Myers-Scotton 1993).

 

This paper will attempt to look at the concept of base/matrix/host language in the context of Kashmir-English mixed code sentences. Previous studies like Bhat 1997, Kak and Agnihtori 1996) have not stressed on this notion while working on different aspects of Kashmiri-English mixing/switching. Constraints proposed by scholars like Poplack 1980, Pfaff 1979, Lipsky 1978 and others will be discussed and will also be used as evidence for the support of the base language notion. This article will also focus on various strategies of neutrality used in Kashmiri-English code switching and code mixing.