Ethnolinguistic Vitality of the Hemshin Language

Date

2023-9-1

Author

Akın, Gülay

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This ethnographic study aims to investigate the ethnolinguistic vitality of the Hemshin language, an endangered language spoken in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The study additionally seeks to identify the factors that affect language vitality by means of a comprehensive approach. A language vitality model that consists of seven factors has been developed specifically for the case of the Hemshin language. As the first of its kind, the ethnolinguistic vitality of the Hemshin language was examined by means of a direct approach enhanced by face-to-face interviews with 160 participants in total, participant observation, and a field diary. The data were analyzed by adopting a multiphase content analysis method. The findings revealed that the vitality of the Hemshin language is low both in the speech and heritage communities. Within the study, specific factors, namely the loss of traditional Hemshin style and cultural practices, perceptions on the Hemshin language by the “Other” and institutional support were found to be the most decisive for the vitality of the Hemshin language in the speech communities. While both speech and heritage communities strongly identify with their heritage identity, the heritage communities emerged to develop a unique identity in relation to the Laz and the people of Rize.

Subject Keywords

Ethnolinguistic vitality, Heritage identity, Heritage community, Ethnography

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/105355

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis