Chapter 2. Contested languages and the denial of linguistic rights in the 21st century
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Marco Tamburelli
Abstract
In this chapter I argue that over-reliance on socio-political criteria (i.e. Ausbau-centrism) in the linguistic literature is partly responsible for the discrimination to which speakers of contested languages are subjected at both the social and the institutional level. Further, I argue that an Ausbau-centred approach also leads to undersplitting of languages (i.e. recognising as few languages as possible), which is ultimately detrimental to the maintenance of linguistic diversity. I conclude by suggesting that the introduction of an Abstand-based perspective is necessary if we are to achieve a taxonomy of “languages” that cuts through socio-cultural biases and that works in favour of language rights and linguistic diversity.
Abstract
In this chapter I argue that over-reliance on socio-political criteria (i.e. Ausbau-centrism) in the linguistic literature is partly responsible for the discrimination to which speakers of contested languages are subjected at both the social and the institutional level. Further, I argue that an Ausbau-centred approach also leads to undersplitting of languages (i.e. recognising as few languages as possible), which is ultimately detrimental to the maintenance of linguistic diversity. I conclude by suggesting that the introduction of an Abstand-based perspective is necessary if we are to achieve a taxonomy of “languages” that cuts through socio-cultural biases and that works in favour of language rights and linguistic diversity.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Introduction
- Chapter 1. What are contested languages and why should linguists care? 3
-
Section 1. The broader picture
- Chapter 2. Contested languages and the denial of linguistic rights in the 21st century 21
- Chapter 3. Democracy 41
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Section 2. Identifying and perceiving contested languages
- Chapter 4. Mixing methods in linguistic classification 59
- Chapter 5. The cost of ignoring degrees of Abstand in defining a regional language 87
- Chapter 6. Deconstructing the idea of language 105
- Chapter 7. Surveying the ethnolinguistic vitality of two contested languages 125
- Chapter 8. Contested orthographies 143
- Chapter 9. Revitalising contested languages 163
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Section 3. Working with contestedness
- Chapter 10. Community-based language planning 185
- Chapter 11. Teaching Piedmontese 199
- Chapter 12. Publishing a grammar and literature anthology of a contested language 209
- Chapter 13. Which Sardinian for education? 221
-
Section 4. Beyond contested languages
- Chapter 14. Citizenship and nationality 237
- Chapter 15. The language ideology of Esperanto 247
- Index 269
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Introduction
- Chapter 1. What are contested languages and why should linguists care? 3
-
Section 1. The broader picture
- Chapter 2. Contested languages and the denial of linguistic rights in the 21st century 21
- Chapter 3. Democracy 41
-
Section 2. Identifying and perceiving contested languages
- Chapter 4. Mixing methods in linguistic classification 59
- Chapter 5. The cost of ignoring degrees of Abstand in defining a regional language 87
- Chapter 6. Deconstructing the idea of language 105
- Chapter 7. Surveying the ethnolinguistic vitality of two contested languages 125
- Chapter 8. Contested orthographies 143
- Chapter 9. Revitalising contested languages 163
-
Section 3. Working with contestedness
- Chapter 10. Community-based language planning 185
- Chapter 11. Teaching Piedmontese 199
- Chapter 12. Publishing a grammar and literature anthology of a contested language 209
- Chapter 13. Which Sardinian for education? 221
-
Section 4. Beyond contested languages
- Chapter 14. Citizenship and nationality 237
- Chapter 15. The language ideology of Esperanto 247
- Index 269
