Handbook of the Changing World Language Map

4130 Pages·2020·138.481 MB·

by  Stanley D Brunn, Roland Kehrein

Stanley D. Brunn
Roland Kehrein
Editors
Handbook of
the Changing
World
Language Map
Handbook of the Changing World
Language Map
(cid:129)
Stanley D. Brunn Roland Kehrein
Editors
Handbook of the
Changing World
Language Map
With1057Figuresand294Tables
Editors
StanleyD.Brunn RolandKehrein
DepartmentofGeography ResearchCentreDeutscherSprachatlas
UniversityofKentucky PhilippsUniversity
Lexington,KY,USA Marburg,Germany
ISBN978-3-030-02437-6 ISBN978-3-030-02438-3(eBook)
ISBN978-3-030-02439-0(printandelectronicbundle)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02438-3
©SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2020
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpartofthe
materialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,
broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmissionorinformation
storageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilarmethodology
nowknownorhereafterdeveloped.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication
doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant
protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
Thepublisher,theauthors,andtheeditorsaresafetoassumethattheadviceandinformationinthisbook
arebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsorthe
editorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforanyerrors
oromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictionalclaims
inpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations.
ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG
Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:Gewerbestrasse11,6330Cham,Switzerland
Preface
Language makes the world. Language is a, or the, most important feature of the
planet’spast,present,andfuture.Languageunites,separates,andtransformshuman-
kind. The exact number of languages in our past and at present is unknown. It far
exceeds the number estimated by language specialists and linguists as these refer
only to human spoken and written languages. All of these languages serve as
communication but communicating means more than utilizing a linguistic system.
Communication also means the application of symbols, images, and silences, all
forming other variations of language. Considered in this light the number of lan-
guages used in the past and present is unknown. The same thinking applies when
looking into the future. The planet and its populations and cultures are rich in the
creativitiesthataccompanyhow,what,andwherewecommunicate.
The above context forms the framework for this volume and its more than
200chapterson language.It ismuch more than spoken andwrittenlanguages,but
languagesassociatedwithpreparing,reading,andinterpretingmaps;thelanguages
associatedwithmusic,art,literature,gender,technology,andarchitecture;languages
ofsilences;bodylanguages;translations;languagesassociatedwithbrandingprod-
uctsandnamesofplacesandhowto“read”alandscape;theteachingandtranslation
oflanguages;andlanguagepoliciesofstates.Ourobjectiveistoaddresscommonly
associatedtopicsaboutlanguages,includingofficialorstatelanguages,languagesof
indigenousgroupsandpeoples,anddisappearingandendangeredlanguages.Butwe
wishtoexpandtheresearchonlanguagetoexploreadditionalvenuesofcommuni-
cating about places, landscapes, technologies, maps and mapping, ethics and laws,
andculturesandenvironments.Inthislightwewelcomethecontributionsofthose
frommanydifferentdisciplinesandwaysoflookingattheworld.
The volume contains 215 chapters in 23 parts. Some parts are with many
contributions,suchasLinguisticMinoritiesandMajorities(21chapters),Language
andTechnology(15),andLanguageandIdentity(14),andsomewithveryfewsuch
as Indigenous People’s Languages (4), Language and Gender (4), Languages of
BoundariesandBorders(3),andNonhumanLanguages(3).Thereare339authors;
manychaptershadmorethanoneauthor.Theauthorscomefromover50different
countriesandmorethanadozendifferentdisciplinesandinterdisciplinaryprograms
in universities around the world. All continents are represented except Antarctica,
which has no permanent residents. The chapters address language and linguistics
v
vi Preface
topics in more than 50 different countries. They include senior scholars who have
spent a lifetime studying a specific language or language topic but also youthful
professionalswhooftenintroducesometopicsandmethodologiesinsomeinnova-
tive, different, and important ways. All chapters in the volume are original; many
authorsacceptedourchallengetointroduceanewtopictothedisciplinesandfields
studying languages. We also asked authors to not only place their thinking and
researchinsomefamiliardisciplinaryortransdisciplinaryconceptualframeworkbut
also to include references for the novice as well as serious scholar and to identify
some promising and important research directions in their conclusion. Graphics,
especiallymaps,wereconsideredimportantfeaturesofchapters;manyoftheseare
original and will stimulate further research about language issues on all continents
andmajorworldregions.
The genesis for this undertaking began in early 2015 following Brunn’s The
ChangingWorldReligionMap(Springer2015).Hislongtimeinterestsinlanguages
(since childhood) stimulated his interest to editing a volume on multiple language
issuesandtopicsacrossthesciencesandhumanities.Itwasoriginallyconsideredto
addressonlylanguageandlinguisticissues,butitexpandedinthepast2yearswith
Roland Kehrein agreeing to serve as co-editor and increase the contribution of
linguists. Both the language and linguist scholarly communities share much in
common,especiallywhenitcomestolookingattheimportanceofplaceandregion.
The volume is enriched by the contributions of scholars from all disciplines who
studyissuesaboutlanguageandcommunication.Botheditorshavelifelonginterests
in language learning, using, teaching, and cultures at local, regional, and global
scales.Aseditors,collectivelywecontactedseveralhundredindividualsinthepast
5years.Manyofthosewereinvitedtocontributechapters,andotherswereaskedto
recommend potential authors. The volume of emails sent by the editors to authors
(confirmed and potential), the publisher, reviewers, and other contacts around the
world exceed 5000. All chapters were reviewed by the editors before acceptance;
somealsowerereviewedbyprofessionalsinspecificfields.
This volume could not and would not have seen the light of day without the
cooperation of the authors, reviewers we asked to evaluate chapters, and several
additional keyparticipants.FirstandforemostisDonnaGilbreathwhohasworked
withStanonfourpreviousbookswithSpringer.Hertalents,energy,creativity,and
commitmentsasManagingEditorareandwereextraordinary.Shenotonlyworked
with authors on drafts and revisions but also prepared the chapters and submitted
them to Springer representatives. Donna’shusband, Richard, also provided invalu-
able cartographic assistance to authors; again, his professionalism has ensured that
thegraphicsandmaps areofthehighestquality inthe printed and digital editions.
The Springer crew included Aldeena Raju and Sarah Mathews, both of whom
prepared the final product for publication; their commitment, dedication, and pro-
fessionalism may be hidden, but it is apparent in the final copies of chapters
appearingintheprintededitionandinthedigitaledition.Finally,weacknowledge
the longstanding support from Evelien Bakker, Bernadette Deelan-Mans, Michael
Hermann, and Stefan Einarson, all who have helped shepherd the book from its
inception to final production. Stan has worked with these committed professionals
Preface vii
on previous Springer volumes and values enormously their efforts to promote
quality, innovative, and significant research products for multidisciplinary and
internationalscholarlycommunities.
Finally,botheditorsareawareofthepioneeringeffortinthisproject.Webelieve
chaptersandpartswillbeusefulinundergraduateandgraduateclassesandseminars
inlinguistics,modernlanguages,thesocialandnaturalsciences,lawandmedicine,
diplomacy and public policy, and technology programs and workshops looking at
the familiar and emerging in language and communication fields. They could also
serve as sessions of professional meetings where cutting-edge research themes are
discussed. We have enjoyed working on it with many others around the world,
especiallyauthors,whohaveeducatedusaboutsalienttopicsandsilentlacunaethat
need to be explored in this volume and in disciplinary and transdisciplinary future
research. We consider this project, the printed volume and the digital products, as
beginning steps to advancing research on the geographies, histories, cultures, and
policiesoflanguage.Thereremainsmuchmoreresearchthatisneeded,anditisour
fervent hope that in the coming decades some of the topics suggested in the
introductionandinthechaptersbyauthorswillseethelightofday.
September2019 StanleyD.Brunn
Lexington,USA RolandKehrein
Marburg,Germany
Introduction: State of Knowledge and Research
Challenges
“Inthebeginningwasgeography.”
Anonymous
Introduction
Theabovequoteshowstheimportanceofgeographysincetheearliesthumanswere
on the earth. We could also add the words mapping and language which also have
been associated with humankind’s development, activities, travels, and communi-
cations and curiosity. Developing the intersections of these keywords, namely,
geography, mapping, and language, has been the stimulus for this volume. We
considerourtasksaseditorsofthismultivolumeprojectthreefold.Firstistoprovide
anassessmentof“wherewehavebeen,”thatis,thecurrentknowledgebaseweuse
in studying a particular place or region or a specific graphic or cartographic or
GIS-relatedapproachandtheimportanceoflanguageandlinguisticanalysisasakey
component in human understanding. To accomplish this end, we present major
reference works, that is, articles, chapters, and books that will aid those interested
inthesetopics.Thus,thereferenceslistedattheendofthisintroductionneedtobe
seen as a foundation for those exploring familiar and even unfamiliar topics. Our
secondobjectivewastopresentastate-of-the-artbaseaboutwhatiscurrentlybeing
studiedbyscholarsstudyinglanguagefromvariousperspectives.Thisinquiryledus
to contact known and well-known scholars who have studied language as part of
their research career but also to identify others who work in related fields or those
whowelcometheopportunitytoworkonalanguagetopic,theory,orregionthathas
longbeenafascination.Wegavethemanopportunity.Third,welookintothefuture
and suggest in this chapter some important, valuable, and tantalizing research
challenges that still await investigation. These would include investigations in
familiarscholarlyterrainsbutalsothosewillingtoventureintosometerraincognita
where language and mapping will or may yield some interesting and valuable
insightsintohumanadvancesinculture,development,andsociety.
ix
x Introduction:StateofKnowledgeandResearchChallenges
Our Past: Where We Are Today
Below we will introduce approaches to the study of languages from different
perspectives and disciplines. These remarks will be followed by an extensive –
thoughdefinitiveandcomprehensive–listofreferencestorelevantstudies.Wedo
notlistallbutwishtoprovideastartingpointforthoseembarkingonthefascinating
interdisciplinaryandmultidisciplinarytopicsandconceptualframeworksthatinter-
sectgeography,cartography,andlanguage.
The Present: The Contents of This Handbook
Oursearchforcurrentresearchonlanguages,mapping,andplacesinthepastseveral
years has stretched across many scholarly disciplines and communities and the
contributionsofmanyindividualscholarsworkinginsmallandlocalplacesaswell
asthosestudyingsomefeatureataregionalorgloballevel.Thisinitiativehasbeen
extendedtoreachouttothosewhohavepublishedonlanguage,languagemapping,
andlinguistictopicsthroughouttheirresearchcareer.Weinvitedthemtocontribute
anoriginalcontributiontothisvolume.Thesearchcontinuedtoincludefriendsand
their own professional networks across disciplines or in other world regions. We
wished to include both junior and senior scholars to extend research on a time-
honored topic or submit a chapter on some new topics they felt merited research.
No continent was spared extending our search. We are grateful for the many who
welcomed our invitation to contribute to the study of a little or well-known topic,
approach,orsubfield.
Toourknowledge,thereisnootherexistingreferencesourceprintedordigitalin
any language that purports to accomplish what we set out to do, that is, present a
basis for what we know about the specific topic. We also know of no existing
scholarly journal or journals that have addressed the focus of our volume or the
themesofmanysections.Wefeelcertainthatboththeprintedanddigitaleditionsof
this book will be useful for members of numerous scholarly communities in the
coming decade and beyond, both to obtain a reading on the current state of
knowledge about a subject or region and to extend our knowledge base to new
language communities and regions. That there is a digital edition will mean that
authors themselves will have opportunities in the coming years to update their
chapters, should they wish, with new references, maps, photos, and graphs as well
astext.
Thebookcontains215chaptersthatareorganizedinto23parts,eachcontaining
chaptersthatrelatetotheparttitleortheme.Therearepartsdealingspecificallywith
mappingandlanguagesandanumberlookingatissuesaboutlanguageandheritage,
identity,technologies,aswellaslinguisticminoritiesandmajorities,endangeredand
disappearinglanguages,andnonhumanlanguages.Specificpartsexaminelanguage
asrelatedtogender,placenamesortoponyms,policy,andlawandalsomusic,art,
Introduction:StateofKnowledgeandResearchChallenges xi
film,andreligion.Howonereadsalandscapeisalsoapart.Thefinalpartsexplore
language as related to instruction, learning, technology, translation, and product
branding. The number of chapters in a part varies which reflects the depth of the
knowledge base about some topics. For example, there are many more chapters
about language heritage, place names, and endangered languages than about non-
humanlanguages,gender,religion,andthepoliticallandscapes.
All 215 chapters have in common that language – in a broad sense – and its
relationtogeographicalspaceisstudied.Language–inthepredominantmeaningof
theword–asthemostimportantmeansofhumancommunicationisintrinsicallytied
tohumanbeingsmakinguseofthispowerfultool.Thisconnectionhasanumberof
implications:
1. There are regions in the world where no (human) language can be found, since
these regionsare–forwhatever reasons–uninhabitedbyhuman beings.These
geographicregionshavetobeshowninmapsdisplayinglanguage(s)anddiscus-
sionsoflanguages.
2. Concerninglanguagemappingtherearegenerallytwotypesofmapsthatcanbe
differentiated, adifferentiation introduced byThun (2000).First,there are“lan-
guagemaps”or“mapsoflanguages”displayingthegeographicaldistributionof
languages or linguistic varieties (i.e., subsystems of languages like regional
dialects).Historically,thefirstmapsonwhichlanguagewasdepicted(Scultetus
1593[publishedinBlaeuandBlaeu1645];Klaproth1823)werelanguagemaps,
butwhatismostinterestingisthattheauthorsdidnotrefertolanguagenamesbut
to names of groups of speakers. The second type of maps are called “linguistic
maps” that displayed the geographical distribution of “competing” linguistic
variants,forexample,theexpressionforthenotion“village”indialectsofSlavic
languagescitedinthechapterbyRabanus(Chap.6,“LanguageMappingWorld-
wide:MethodsandTraditions,”thethirdfigure).Sincetheendofthenineteenth
century in linguistic research, there is a tradition of creating linguistic maps for
researchpurposes.ThefirstlinguisticatlaswascompiledbytheGermanscholar
GeorgWenkerin1878.Thisatlas,andmanyotherlinguisticatlasesdealingwith
German dialects, is accessible free of charge on the Internet platform REDE
SprachGIS which is introduced by Limper, Pheiff, and Williams (Chap. 196,
“REDE SprachGIS: A Geographic Information System for Linguists”). Addi-
tionalchaptersonseveral aspects oflanguagemapping canbefound inthefirst
threepartsofthehandbook.
3. Since communication forms an integral part of human and thus social life,
language is principally subject to dynamic processes of variation and change
(PartVI:LinguisticMinoritiesandMajorities).Suchprocessescanbetheresult
ofanaccommodation(orsynchronization)betweenspeakers(e.g.,inmultilingual
or multiethnic societies as described in the chapters of Part VII: Linguistic
Variations and Patterns of Language Use), but they can also be triggered by
languagepolicy,byextralinguisticneedssuchastechnologicalinnovations,orby
anycreativelanguageuseinthearts,music,film,orcommercials.