Bulgarian Muslims from the Chech region and their linguistic self-identification

Rumen Srebranov

doi:10.1515/IJSL.2006.030

Abstract

The question of the language of Bulgarian Muslims (Pomaks) is discussed by most authors in the context of minority rights or historical and cultural-ethnographic studies. Their conclusions and theses have served to justify assimilatory and brutal policies towards Muslims by the respective Greek or Bulgarian governments, the use of religion as an instrument of assimilation by the Turkish authorities, or development of an intermediate (autonomous) stage in Pomak identity for the purpose of subsequent assimilation. It is generally believed that in the Rhodopi Mountains there are various Bulgarian (South-Slavic) dialects that existed before the emergence of modern nation-states and their corresponding literary languages. The contemporary linguistic self-identification of the Chech population is directly related to social status. A large number of people with lower social status identify their native language as Pomak on the basis of its difference from Standard Bulgarian and Standard Turkish. This group is characterized by more conservative religious leanings, as a result of which they tend to distance themselves from Christians and mainly from Bulgarians. On the other hand, they identify themselves differently from the Turkish ethnic community despite the common religion. In this sense, they all (irrespective of social status) reject any Turkish connection in terms of language. Among people with high social status there is a small group that points out its non-Bulgarian identity; the members of this group are associated in some way with the Turkish or Muslim idea.

Bulgarian Muslims from the Chech region and their linguistic self-identification

Abstract

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