Virtual Frisian: A comparison of language use in North and West Frisian virtual communities

Files

belmar_heyen.pdf (14.19 MB)

Date

2021-06

Authors

Contributor

Advisor

Department

Instructor

Depositor

Speaker

Researcher

Consultant

Interviewer

Narrator

Transcriber

Annotator

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Hawaii Press

Volume

15

Number/Issue

Starting Page

285

Ending Page

315

Alternative Title

Abstract

Social networking sites have become ubiquitous in our daily communicative exchanges, which has brought about new platforms of identification and opened possibilities that were out of reach for many minoritized communities. As they represent an increasing percentage of the media we consume, these sites have been considered crucial for revitalization processes. However, the growing importance of social media may also pose a problem for minoritized languages, as the need for communication with a wider audience seems to require the use of a language of wider communication. One way in which this apparent need for a global language can be avoided is by creating virtual communities where the minoritized languages can be used without competition, a virtual breathing space. This study analyzes language practices of eight communities: four North Frisian and four West Frisian virtual communities. The analysis focuses on the languages used in each community, the topics discussed, as well as the status of the minoritized language in the community. A total of 1,127 posts are analyzed to determine whether these communities function as breathing spaces, the factors that may foster or prevent the emergence of these spaces, and the similarities and differences between these two sociolinguistic contexts.

Description

Keywords

North Frisian, West Frisian, virtual communities, breathing spaces, minoritized languages, language revitalization

Citation

Belmar, Guillem & Hauke Heyen. 2021. Virtual Frisian: A comparison of language use in North and West Frisian virtual communities. Language Documentation & Conservation 15: 285-315.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10125/74647

Extent

31 pages

Format

Geographic Location

Time Period

Related To

Related To (URI)

Table of Contents

Rights

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States

Rights Holder

Local Contexts

Collections

Volume 15 : Language Documentation & Conservation
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.