Errors or identity markers? A survey study on the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish

This study examines the use of and attitudes towards finlandisms and fennicisms in Finland Swedish. Finlandisms are words or structures typical of the Swedish variety spoken in Finland, while fennicisms are a category of finlandisms for which the source language is Finnish. Fennicisms are often discussed in context of Finnish influence and consequent Finland Swedish language loss, suggesting that the use of these features in Swedish is stigmatised. The study analyses survey responses from 126 Finland Swedish individuals in order to investigate the use of and perceptions regarding fennicisms. The responses indicate that although finlandisms and, in particular, fennicisms are often seen as erroneous, they can also be used to indicate a uniquely Finland Swedish linguistic identity. Additionally, responses regarding fennicisms provide examples of previously overlooked Finnish loanwords, while also indicating that loanwords with origins in other languages are often misidentified as stemming from Finnish. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Enhancing Participatory Development in Morocco: Analyzing the Sketch Mapping Behaviour of Men and Women and Integrating Paper and Digital Participatory Mapping Environments

Twelve participatory paper maps by separate groups of men and women were facilitated by the High Atlas Foundation in six communities in Morocco between 2010–2020 as part of their process of participatory development. In this research, these sketch maps are analyzed for the first time. The twelve participatory paper maps underwent a gender-focused content frequency analysis. Seven communities were located using OpenStreetMap and Google Maps by a High Atlas Foundation expert. It was found that men contributed more overall geographic elements and written Arabic commentary than women, which could indicate a higher level of familiarity with their community and comfortability in communicating their opinions in writing. It was also found that there are many barriers to adding data from the sketch maps to OpenStreetMap due to language, loss of institutional memory, inconsistencies between the sketch maps of the same location, and inconsistencies between the sketch maps and satellite imagery.

Linguistic genocide or linguicide?

Forced language loss is a reality for many communities around the world and language loss brings with it an entire spectrum of negativities. This article examines two of the most common terms that are used in linguistics for forced language loss – linguistic genocide and linguicide. The terms are almost synonymous and recognize that the ultimate aim of forced language loss is usually forced assimilation or the destruction of group identity. However, through a critical reading of both terms, linguicide is argued as the preferred term for use in linguistics as linguistic genocide gives rise to linguistic essentialist positions that may harm communities that have suffered forced language loss.

Consequences and Remedies of Indigenous Language Loss in Canada

Many Indigenous languages in Canada are facing the threat of extinction. While some languages remain in good health, others have already been lost completely. Immediate action must be taken to prevent further language loss. Throughout Canada’s unacceptable history of expunging First Nations’ ways of life, systemic methods such as residential schools attempted to eradicate Indigenous cultures and languages. These efforts were not entirely successful but Indigenous language and culture suffered greatly. For Indigenous communities, language loss impaired intergenerational knowledge transfer and compromised their personal identity. Additionally, the cumulative effects of assimilation have contributed to poor mental and physical health outcomes amongst Indigenous people. However, language reclamation has been found to improve well-being and sense of community. To this objective, this paper explores the historical context of this dilemma, the lasting effects of assimilation, and how this damage can be remediated. Additionally, we examine existing Indigenous language programs in Canada and the barriers that inhibit the programs’ widespread success. Through careful analysis, such barriers may be overcome to improve the efficacy of the programs. Institutions must quickly implement positive changes to preserve Indigenous languages as fluent populations are rapidly disappearing.

Indigenous ethnic languages in Bangladesh: Paradoxes of the multilingual ecology

Languages are at the centre of nationalistic discourses across South Asia since they have played a historically and politically significant role in defining nationhood and both uniting and dividing countries throughout the British Empire. Despite multilingualism and multiculturalism, and vast differences in individual access to, and command of, mother tongue, national and official languages, paradoxically a collective language is always considered as an important imagined marker of ‘national’ identity. It is this latter point I explore by drawing on ethnographic fieldwork amongst Bangladeshi youths from indigenous ethnic communities who are designated as ethnic minority groups in Bangladesh. Positioning the paper at the nexus of multilingual ecology, I thereby investigate how youths from the indigenous ethnic communities perceive themselves with reference to their mother tongue, national language, and foreign language, and what impact their relationships, their preferences, and use have on the maintenance and sustainability of their mother tongue in the multilingual ecology. A qualitative content analysis of the data demonstrates that it is only by taking the varying potential scopes of language into account that we can fully appreciate these complex Asian multilingual ecologies, where the mother tongues, indigenous ethnic languages, national languages, and English have specific historical, political, and sociocultural significances. The discursive claims of Bangladeshi ethnic youth participants indicate that the presence of the ‘mother-tongue’ and ‘national language’ in these contexts is ideologically infused, layered, value-laden, relational, and paradoxical at the microlevel – as these languages are practiced and nurtured by the linguistically minoritized subjects themselves. They negotiate their relationship with these languages, strictly keeping in consideration the existence of other languages and their social, cultural, economic significance in the multilingual ecology. It is via the paradoxical role of these languages in contexts that the paper aims to identify the socio-psychological reasons behind language loss in Bangladesh.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ СОХРАНЕНИЯ И РАЗВИТИЯ ЯЗЫКА МАЛОЧИСЛЕННОГО НАРОДА АБАЗИН

В статье рассмотрена проблема сохранения родного языка абазинами – законодательно признанным малочисленным народом РФ. Угроза ассимиляции и потери языка активизировали деятельность абазинских общественных организаций в этнокультурной сфере. Приоритетными стали проблемы сохранения абазинского языка и сближения двух родственных народов – абазин и абхазов, в том числе проживающих диаспорно в других странах. По инициативе и при поддержке общественников реализуются многочисленные проекты, направленные на сохранение и развитие абазинской традиционной культуры, планируется создание единого абазино-абхазского алфавита. Результаты проводимых в Карачаево-Черкесской Республике в течение ряда лет социологических опросов, позволили выявить достаточно высокий уровень владения абазинским языком, в том числе, среди молодежи. Сохраняется запрос на изучение родного языка. В то же время тревожной тенденцией является отсутствие интереса к его изучению частью опрошенных. Государственная языковая политика, меры, предпринимаемые общественниками, а также достаточно высокий уровень национального самосознания населения в целом позволяют прогнозировать сохранность и развитие абазинского языка в ближайшем будущем. The article is dedicated to the problem of preserving the native language by the Abazins – a recognized small-numbered people in the Russian Federation. The threat of assimilation and language loss has intensified the ethnocultural activities of the Abaza social organizations. The issues of preserving the Abaza language and the convergence of the Abazins with the related Abhazians, including among diasporas in other countries, became priority. On the initiative and with the support of social activists, numerous projects aimed at preserving and developing the Abaza traditional culture are being implemented; it is planned to create a single Abaza-Abkhaz alphabet. The results of sociological surveys conducted in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic over the years revealed a fairly high level of proficiency in the Abaza language, including among young people. A request for studying the native language persists. At the same time, the lack of interest to studying it among some of the respondents is seen as a disturbing trend. However, state language policy, measures taken by social activists and a fairly high level of ethnic identity of the population suggest that the Abaza language will be preserved and continue developing in the nearest future.

Language extinction triggers the loss of unique medicinal knowledge

Over 30% of the 7,400 languages in the world will no longer be spoken by the end of the century. So far, however, our understanding of whether language extinction may result in the loss of linguistically unique knowledge remains limited. Here, we ask to what degree indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is associated with individual languages and quantify how much indigenous knowledge may vanish as languages and plants go extinct. Focusing on three regions that have a high biocultural diversity, we show that over 75% of all 12,495 medicinal plant services are linguistically unique—i.e., only known to one language. Whereas most plant species associated with linguistically unique knowledge are not threatened, most languages that report linguistically unique knowledge are. Our finding of high uniqueness in indigenous knowledge and strong coupling with threatened languages suggests that language loss will be even more critical to the extinction of medicinal knowledge than biodiversity loss.