Diaspora language
Encyclopedia
The term diaspora language, coined in the 1980s, is a sociolinguistic idea referring to a variety of language
spoken in a place of migration. For example, the great number of Hindi
speakers in the United Kingdom
has produced a strain of the language unlike that spoken on the Indian subcontinent where it began. This has given rise to Hindlish, also known as Hinglish
, an informal term for the mixture of Hindi and English that includes such phrases as city kotwali or "city police station." Hinglish is not considered a full-blown diaspora language but it appears to be developing into one.
A more concrete example of a diaspora language is Molise Slavic. Though possessing certain elements of Slavic languages
, it is also influenced by Italian
. Considered an endangered language
, Molise Slavic is spoken by approximately 3,500 people in the villages of Montemitro
, San Felice del Molise
, and Acquaviva Collecroce
in southern Molise, as well as elsewhere in southern Italy
. The language developed as a result of refugees arriving in Italy from the eastern Adriatic coast during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Another diaspora language is Istro-Romanian
, spoken by the Istro-Romanians
. Like Molise Croatian, it is considered endangered, with only 500 to 1000 speakers remaining. Istro-Romanian developed when the ancestors of these individuals migrated to Istria from Transylvania
(some say Serbia
) during the 12th century.
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
spoken in a place of migration. For example, the great number of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
speakers in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
has produced a strain of the language unlike that spoken on the Indian subcontinent where it began. This has given rise to Hindlish, also known as Hinglish
Hinglish
Hinglish, a blending of the words "Hindi" and "English", means to combine both languages in one sentence. This is more commonly seen in urban and semi-urban centers of the Hindi-speaking states of India, but is slowly spreading into rural and remote areas of these states via television, mobile...
, an informal term for the mixture of Hindi and English that includes such phrases as city kotwali or "city police station." Hinglish is not considered a full-blown diaspora language but it appears to be developing into one.
A more concrete example of a diaspora language is Molise Slavic. Though possessing certain elements of Slavic languages
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
, it is also influenced by Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. Considered an endangered language
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
, Molise Slavic is spoken by approximately 3,500 people in the villages of Montemitro
Montemitro
Montemitro is a small town and comune in the province of Campobasso in the Molise region of Italy, near the Trigno river....
, San Felice del Molise
San Felice del Molise
San Felice del Molise is a small town and comune in the province of Campobasso in the Molise region of Italy, near the Trigno river....
, and Acquaviva Collecroce
Acquaviva Collecroce
Acquaviva Collecroce is a small town and comune in the province of Campobasso, in the Molise region of southern Italy, between the Biferno and Trigno rivers....
in southern Molise, as well as elsewhere in southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The language developed as a result of refugees arriving in Italy from the eastern Adriatic coast during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Another diaspora language is Istro-Romanian
Istro-Romanian language
Istro-Romanian is an Eastern Romance language that is still spoken today in a few villages and hamlets in the peninsula of Istria, on the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, in what is now Croatia as well as in other countries around the world where the Istro-Romanian people settled after the two...
, spoken by the Istro-Romanians
Istro-Romanians
Istro-Romanians / Istrorumeni are an ethnic group living in northeastern Istria, currently spanning over a small area of Croatia and a...
. Like Molise Croatian, it is considered endangered, with only 500 to 1000 speakers remaining. Istro-Romanian developed when the ancestors of these individuals migrated to Istria from Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(some say Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
) during the 12th century.