Echoes of Oratory: Lexical Narratives in Punjabi Folk Music

Abstract

This study examined the long-established tradition of Punjabi folklore and the role of rhetorical devices in shaping meaning in folk songs. Folk songs were treated as cultural narratives transmitted across generations and closely associated with marriage rituals and communal life. The study aimed to identify how rhetorical and lexical choices contributed to cultural meaning in selected Punjabi folk music. Using an analytical-descriptive and discourse-based approach, two folk songs, “O’ Mehndi Taan Sajdi” (also referred to as “Lathy di Chaddar”) and “Chitta Kukar Banare Te,” were selected for rhetorical analysis. The analysis focused on symbolism, metaphor, repetition, parallelism, assonance, consonance, and alliteration. The findings showed that rhetorical expressions performed more than an aesthetic function. They generated linguistic effects, organized musicality, represented kinship and wedding practices, and helped preserve cultural memory and identity within Punjabi communities.