Word Recognition in Urdu

By : Azeez Rizwana

Page No: 489-495

Abstract
Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language with a Persio-Arabic script. Its linguistic roots, grammar and lexicon are based on Sanskrit. It also borrows lexicon, nonconcatenative feature, triconsonantal root, orthography and the like from Arabic, a Semetic language. The present study is a preliminary investigation on word recognition in Urdu. We expect to see differential processing strategies for word type. There were three conditions, a base word, an extension (inflectional) and a derivative word form as target words in a simple word recognition task. We report differential processing during word recognition across stimuli. A comparative study with Hindi, another Indo-Aryan language very similar to Urdu, on similar lines would provide clear conclusions on the role of orthography, phonology and morphology during word recognition.

Author :
Azeez Rizwana : Research Scholar, Department of Studies in Psychology, University of Mysore, Mysuru.