Ethnocultural and Language Development of an Ethnic Minority in a Genetically Relative Environment (Field Study on the Oirats in Mongolia in 2024)
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2024-4-9-22
The article deals with the cultural and linguistic dynamics in the development of the Oirat ethnic minority in Mongolia, who have lived compactly in a linguistically related environment for several centuries. This includes Oirat ethnic groups such as the Durvud, Torguud, Zakhchin, Myangad, Bayad, Uriankhai, Uuld, Khotgoid, Khoshuud, Khoyt and Khoton. The Oirat language belongs to the western branch of the Mongolian languages of the Altaic language family. It is an ancient written language. The Oirat script “Todo bichg” (clear script) was de-ve¬loped in 1648 by the Oirat scholar Zaya Pandita. A characteristic feature of the language situation in Mongolia is that most languages belong to the Mongolian language family and are, therefore, surrounded by other closely related languages. The article aims to analyze the dynamics in the development of Oirat idioms in Mongolia under the conditions of a cognate environment in order to specify their linguistic vitality. Language contact between related languages can lead to the assimilation of the language of a smaller language community, usually into a dialect of the dominant language community. Rapid assimilation can occur for several reasons. Firstly, the psychological factor is decisive. As a rule, the speakers of the assimilating language have no psychological barriers, since they are in a culturally and linguistically related environment and are not subject to any moral or psychological pressure from the dominant group, the language change takes place almost unnoticed. Secondly, due to the genetic proximity of the idioms with which they come into contact, the minority languages are restricted in their range of functions, giving way to the dominant language and thus losing prestige. These linguistic processes can be clearly traced in the functional and structural development of the language of the Oirat groups in Mongolia. The article analyzes the language change of the Oirat people in Mongolia based on material from a sociolinguistic field study conducted in 2024 among the Oirat people in Mongolia.
Keywords: Mongolian languages, the Oirats, language contacts, cognate language environment, language shift, language vitality
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Issue: 4, 2024
Series of issue: Issue № 4
Rubric: LINGUISTICS
Pages: 9 — 22
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