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13 - The Role of the Past in Language Revitalization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2023

By
Pia Lane
Edited by
Aneta Pavlenko
Aneta Pavlenko
Affiliation:
University of York
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Summary

The term revitalization presupposes that something is in danger or threatened – as a consequence, language revitalization is often seen as a response to language endangerment and as a way of undoing past injustices. While revitalization processes take place in the present, such processes follow long timescales and are deeply embedded in local historical contexts. Language revitalization may be experienced as positive and emancipatory, but the process can also be difficult because those attempting to reclaim their language may have to face hurts of the past, which have been passed down through generations and have consequences today. An analysis of current efforts to revitalize Kven and Sámi languages in Northern Norway sheds light on such inherent tensions in revitalization processes, concluding that it is essential to recognize tensions and contradictory forces exerted on the individuals who attempt to reclaim their language and to support them on their language journey.

Keywords

language revitalizationlanguage reclamationlanguage shifttimescaleslanguage hierarchieslanguage and emotionsNorwegianKvenSámi
Type
Chapter
Information
Multilingualism and History , pp. 239 - 254
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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