9 Language Change and Maintenance among Mandaic Speakers of Iran: A Socio-linguistic Study
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Soheila Ahmadi
Abstract
Mandaic is a highly endangered language spoken by an ethnic minority group, with almost a few hundred native speakers in Khuzestan, southern Iran. This study aims to determine how Mandaic language has been shifted and maintained in various domains of use within the Mandaean community of Ahvaz, Khuzestan. The native speakers of Mandaic constitute a low percentage of their community, and the majority of the most recent generation has no effective command of the language. In this field study, questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample group of 100 Mandaeans across four generations. The results show that the frequency of spoken Mandaic is decreasing in all age groups. Since the language use is regressive, the new generation of speakers is likely to be the last. Persian, the official language of Iran, and Arabic, the most widely spoken language in Khuzestan, have negatively affected the Mandaic language significantly, therefore most of the Mandaic speakers are bilingual or even multilingual. The status of Persian as the official language of administration and education explains the dwindling of the use of local minority languages. Therefore, speakers of Mandaic language have mainly shifted to Persian and Arabic.
Abstract
Mandaic is a highly endangered language spoken by an ethnic minority group, with almost a few hundred native speakers in Khuzestan, southern Iran. This study aims to determine how Mandaic language has been shifted and maintained in various domains of use within the Mandaean community of Ahvaz, Khuzestan. The native speakers of Mandaic constitute a low percentage of their community, and the majority of the most recent generation has no effective command of the language. In this field study, questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample group of 100 Mandaeans across four generations. The results show that the frequency of spoken Mandaic is decreasing in all age groups. Since the language use is regressive, the new generation of speakers is likely to be the last. Persian, the official language of Iran, and Arabic, the most widely spoken language in Khuzestan, have negatively affected the Mandaic language significantly, therefore most of the Mandaic speakers are bilingual or even multilingual. The status of Persian as the official language of administration and education explains the dwindling of the use of local minority languages. Therefore, speakers of Mandaic language have mainly shifted to Persian and Arabic.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Foreword VII
- Contents IX
- 1 Introduction 1
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Part I: Iranian Minority Languages
- 2 At the Crossroads: Caspian Languages through a Sociolinguistic Lens 9
- 3 Mazandarani: Current Status and Future Prospects 37
- 4 Balochi: Literary Development, Status and Vitality 61
- 5 Attitudes Towards Tati Language Among its Native Speakers in Western Iran 83
- 6 The Bakhtiari Language: Maintenance or Shift? A Diachronic Survey on the Status of Bakhtiari in the City of Masjed Soleiman between 1996–2020 111
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Part II: Non-Iranian Minority Languages
- 7 Ebb and Flow of Azeri and Persian in Iran: A Longitudinal Study in the City of Zanjan 177
- 8 Language Shift and Language Maintenance among Turkmen Speakers 205
- 9 Language Change and Maintenance among Mandaic Speakers of Iran: A Socio-linguistic Study 231
- 10 Armenian Language and Identity in Iran: The Case of Iranian Armenians of Isfahan 249
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Part III: Iranian Heritage Languages in Diaspora
- 11 Wakhi in New York: Multilingualism and Language Contact in a Pamiri Diaspora Community 273
- 12 Language Maintenance and Language Shift: A Perspective from the First- Generation and Second-Generation Pashto Speakers Living in the United States and Canada 305
- 13 Persian as a Diasporic Language in the United States: A Survey of Heritage Persian Learners at College Level 333
- Index 379
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements V
- Foreword VII
- Contents IX
- 1 Introduction 1
-
Part I: Iranian Minority Languages
- 2 At the Crossroads: Caspian Languages through a Sociolinguistic Lens 9
- 3 Mazandarani: Current Status and Future Prospects 37
- 4 Balochi: Literary Development, Status and Vitality 61
- 5 Attitudes Towards Tati Language Among its Native Speakers in Western Iran 83
- 6 The Bakhtiari Language: Maintenance or Shift? A Diachronic Survey on the Status of Bakhtiari in the City of Masjed Soleiman between 1996–2020 111
-
Part II: Non-Iranian Minority Languages
- 7 Ebb and Flow of Azeri and Persian in Iran: A Longitudinal Study in the City of Zanjan 177
- 8 Language Shift and Language Maintenance among Turkmen Speakers 205
- 9 Language Change and Maintenance among Mandaic Speakers of Iran: A Socio-linguistic Study 231
- 10 Armenian Language and Identity in Iran: The Case of Iranian Armenians of Isfahan 249
-
Part III: Iranian Heritage Languages in Diaspora
- 11 Wakhi in New York: Multilingualism and Language Contact in a Pamiri Diaspora Community 273
- 12 Language Maintenance and Language Shift: A Perspective from the First- Generation and Second-Generation Pashto Speakers Living in the United States and Canada 305
- 13 Persian as a Diasporic Language in the United States: A Survey of Heritage Persian Learners at College Level 333
- Index 379
