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Programme: accepted abstracts

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Abstract ID: 369

Part of Session 160: Languages in contact in Brazil (Other abstracts in this session)

Language maintenance among descendents of Pomeranian immigrants in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo

Authors: Höhmann, Beate
Submitted by: Höhmann, Beate (UFF, Brazil)

This session presents some studies that are being developed in different situations of languages in contact in Brazil, as the result of the immigration/colonization (allochthonous languages); the contact between the Brazilian Portuguese and the indigenous languages (autochthonous languages) and also the result of the contact among linguistic groups situated alongside the borderline of Brazil.

The topic presented by Beate Höhmann deals with aspects of language maintenance and the description of the language revitalization program of Pomeranian in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Pomeranian, which is still spoken by the descendants of the emigrants who arrived in the second half of the 19th century in Brazil, is already extinct in the region of its origin.

After the introduction, in which an overview of the research situation and the socio-demographic data is provided, there are presented quantitative data on language preference and intergenerational language transmission of the studied language community. In addition, are analyzed the contributing factors to language maintenance, respectively language loss.

The latest standardization activities of the minority language which are related to the language revitalization project PROEPO are presented. This part includes the preparation of the Pomeranian-Portuguese Encyclopaedia, the process of formation and lexicalization of neologisms, the representation of culture of the minority in school and the involvement of the linguistic group in the language revitalization project PROEPO. The planned regional co-officialization of the Pomeranian language and resulting rights, conditions and consequences will be discussed.

Finally, perspectives for language preservation are discussed. In addition, the use of the minority language in education and the resulting research desiderata are stated.

 

Keywords: Language Maintenance – Linguistic Minorities – German Dialects – Language Planning

 

References

GRENOBLE, L.A. & J.L. Whaley. Saving Languages. An introduction to language revitalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

HÖHMANN, B. Sprachplanung und Spracherhalt innerhalb einer pommerischen Sprachgemeinschaft: Eine soziolinguistische Studie in Espírito Santo / Brasilien. Frankfurt/Main: Peter Lang Verlag, 2011.

MUFWENE, S. The Ecology of Language Evolution. Cambridge University Press, 2001.

TRESSMANN, I. Dicionário Enciclopédico Pomerano-Português. Pomerisch Portugijsisch Wöirbauk. Santa Maria de Jetibá: Secretaria de Educação, 2006.

TSUNODA, T. Language Endangerment and Language Revitalization. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2005.

WRIGHT, S. Language Policy and Language Planning: From Nationalism to Globalisation. Great Britain: Palgrave, 2004.