Revitalization of minority languages through fraseology: the SLBF project
Presenter(s)
Affiliation
Topic
Documentation of indigenous and minority languages: vocabulary and grammar
Type
Papers
Abstract
This paper describes the FAR3 project D’Òberteilera chéemen énger o arrivurun d’greschuneiara? Last call per il patrimonio idiomatico titsch and töitschu, (2021-2023, University of Valle d’Aosta - Italy), as an example of good practices for the revitalization of minority languages and an interesting intersection of research, theory, and practice. The Walser of the Aosta Valley speak two variants of German, Titsch and Töitschu, which date back to the 13th century. The project involved their younger generation, in the knowledge and dissemination of their local linguistic and cultural heritage, documenting and safeguarding their extraordinary cultural heritage also through an exhibition and a book. The project collected more than 1000 Titsch and Töitschu idioms, describes semantics, syntax, and pragmatics of a part of them and, in cooperation with the schools, creates prototypical usage situations that the children illustrated with drawings. In the more general field of lexicon, idioms were chosen as the object of this study because they preserve the words, knowledge and traditions of a population.
This model will be exported in 2025 to Norway (Valle Setesdalian) and Sweden (Älvdalen) in collaboration with Dr. Andrea Maini (Agder University) to be applied to two minority languages with a history partly similar to that of Titsch and Töitschu. In particular, through this new project called SLBF –Small languages, big phraseology, we want to promote awareness that there are places in the world where other people speak very similar languages and have a completely analogous lifestyle and worldview. Although individual Germanic minority languages may seem threatened with extinction, contact with similar communities can contribute to the flourishing of new interests, increasing the possibility that these languages will survive. To this end, an exchange between the three communities, with a small group of Norwegians and Swedes visiting the Aosta Valley and vice versa, is fundamental.
