Kudumbi - Cultural Diffusion and Language Convergence

Cultural Diffusion and Language Convergence

For decades the Kudumbi led a socially secluded life. During the late 19th century in Kerala, when a socio-cultural revival took place in many backward communities, the Kudumbi opened themselves up to mainstream socio-cultural and economic developments. Unfortunately, newer socio-economic and cultural changes in the community spurred a slow reverse cultural diffusion. This has created a language shift among the younger generation, who now prefer to speak Malayalam to Konkani, with Malayalam also used for written communication. The convergence of the Konkani and Malayalam languages is more pronounced among the Kudumbi. Unlike their Konkani peers, Kudumbis have no spiritual Guru, no central authority and no dominant figure in the community. As a result, many Kudumbi customs have regional disparities and many have vanished from its cultural ethos altogether. Mainstream peer influences compelled many to blindly adopt the local or dominant socio-cultural values .But in spite of this cultural diffusion, funeral rites (antyesti) rites and some religious ceremonies (poojas) are widely conducted according to Kudumbi customs.