Punjabi women and linguistic stigma in Pakistan

Blog post by Muhammad Habib Qazi, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan

Punjabi, the language of Pakistan’s largest ethnic community, continues to face marginalization despite its deep-rooted cultural and historical significance. This linguistic relegation is not merely the result of state policies but is also reinforced at the societal level, particularly by Punjabi women. Their role in fostering linguistic cringe has been a crucial yet underexplored phenomenon. The term linguistic cringe refers to one’s feeling of embarrassment about their linguistic and cultural products vis-à-vis those of dominant languages and cultures (Phillips 2006). My Identities article, ‘Ethnic languages conundrum in postcolonial Pakistan and the role of women in fostering Punjabi linguistic cringe’, investigates the ways in which postcolonial socio-political structures and internalized stigmas have led Punjabi women to distance themselves from their mother tongue.
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Based on a mixed-method approach, the study draws on data from 312 randomly sampled Punjabi women through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The findings reveal that colonial legacies and postcolonial nation-building efforts have led to the assertion and imposition of Urdu and English as superior languages, pushing Punjabi to the periphery. This imposed linguistic hierarchy has contributed to Punjabi women’s reluctance to pass the language on to their children, reinforcing its decline and strengthening the perception of Punjabi as a ‘backward’ or ‘rural’ language (John 2015; Asif 2005).

The reluctance to use Punjabi is not merely an outcome of state-led policies but an active process shaped by social aspirations and class anxieties. Women, as the primary caregivers and transmitters of cultural capital, have internalized linguistic stigmas to the extent that they perceive Urdu and English as necessary tools for social mobility and wider societal acceptance. Consequently, Punjabi is systematically excluded from urban households, reinforcing its marginalization. This pattern mirrors broader postcolonial conditions in which indigenous languages are undermined by the continued influence of colonial-era policies imposed by the postcolonial state machinery.

My study underscores that this phenomenon is not just a linguistic issue but one that has profound social and psychological implications. The erosion of Punjabi contributes to a sense of detachment from cultural identity, affecting not only speakers within Pakistan but also the vast Punjabi diaspora in countries like the UK, USA and Australia. These communities, already negotiating their cultural identity in foreign lands, may experience an amplified sense of alienation due to the diminishing prestige and transmission of their ancestral language.

The findings also point to an urgent need for policy reforms and grassroots initiatives aimed at restoring the status of Punjabi in Pakistan’s linguistic landscape. While linguistic diversity is often framed as an asset in global discourses on inclusivity and equity, Pakistan’s approach has largely ignored the significance of its indigenous languages. If these trends continue, the country risks deepening cultural homogenization at the cost of its rich linguistic heritage. Addressing these issues requires dismantling linguistic stigmas, promoting multilingual education and fostering pride in Punjabi as an integral part of Pakistan’s identity. Organizations such as the Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture (PILAC), Punjabi Purchar, and Punjabi Lok Sujag are actively working on projects to promote and develop the Punjabi language. Their efforts focus on the conservation, protection, promotion and enhancement of Punjab’s language, art and cultural heritage. The study recommends state support for such organizations and the inclusion of Punjabi as part of the primary school curriculum.
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In challenging the status quo, the study highlights that reversing linguistic cringe among Punjabi women is not simply about language preservation but about reclaiming cultural agency. Recognizing the value of Punjabi and encouraging its use in both formal and informal settings is crucial for ensuring an inclusive and diverse national identity – one that does not come at the expense of indigenous linguistic and cultural erasure.

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Image credit: Punjabi Parchar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Read the Identities ​article:
Qazi, M. Habib, Rafique, Maham, Munir, Tahira and Choudhary, Zahid J. (2025). Ethnic languages conundrum in postcolonial Pakistan and the role of women in fostering Punjabi linguistic cringe. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power. DOI: ​10.1080/1070289X.2025.2463225

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