449 research outputs found
When Two Roma Communities Meet: Consequences for the Vulnerability of Romani in the Belgrade Suburb of Batajnica
No full textThis chapter explores language vulnerability in two Roma
communities residing in the Belgrade suburban settlement of Batajnica:
Sremski Roma and Arli Roma. These communities settled in the area at
different times; they speak different Romani dialects and belong to different
religious denominations. Based on the responses to the sociolinguistic
VLingS Questionnaire 1.0 conducted during fieldwork in 2023, the research
focuses on several sociolinguistic aspects, such as linguistic background,
intergenerational language transmission, attitudes toward Romani, issues
of identity and language maintenance, as well as various domains of
language usage. Although characterized by many similarities—particularly
in their linguistic backgrounds and attitudes toward language—the two
communities differ in the frequency of Romani language usage across
different domains. Notably, significantly more Arli Roma use their language
when speaking to their partners, children, and neighbours, discussing topics
of social interest, and, most importantly, during prayer and in gravestone
inscriptions. In contrast, Sremski Roma report more frequent usage of
Serbian across various domains, pointing to the potential vulnerability of
Romani in this community. These findings indicate that assessments of
language vulnerability and endangerment of Romani varieties should take
into account dialectal diversity and various extralinguistic factors, providing
separate estimates for distinct varieties.Поглавље истражује рањивост језика у двема ромским заједницама у београдском приградском насељу Батајница: у заједницама Сремских Рома и Арлија. Ове две заједнице настаниле су се у Батајници у различитим временским периодима, говоре различите ромске дијалекте и припадају различитим верским деноминацијама. Истраживање се заснива на одговорима саговорника на социолингвистички упитник VLingS Questionnaire 1.0 који је у датим заједницама спроведен током теренских истраживања 2023. Студија се фокусира на неколико социолингвистичких аспеката, као што су језички профил, међугенерацијско преношење језика, ставови према ромском, питања идентитета и очувања језика, као и различити домени употребе. Иако их одликују бројне сличности, посебно у језичком профилу и ставовима према језику, ове две заједнице разликују се у фреквенци употребе језика у различитим доменима. Значајно већи број Арлија употребљава ромски језик у разговору са својим партнерима, децом, комшијама, током разговора о друштвеним питањима, и нарочито током молитве и на надгробним натписима. С друге стране, Сремски Роми наводе чешћу употребу српског језика у различитим доменима, указујући на потенцијалну рањивост ромског у овој заједници. Добијени резултати сугеришу да процене рањивости и угрожености ромских варијетета треба да узму у обзир дијалекатску разноврсност и различите ванјезичке факторе, омогућавајући одвојене процене за различите варијетете
Report on documenting the Gurbet Romani variety in East Serbia and creating the Romani-Serbian dictionary
Full text linkThe paper reports on "Romani-Serbian Dictionary of the Knjaževac Gurbet Variety" (Ćirković & Mirić 2017), which originated from work on the project "Exploring the Language and Folklore of Roma in Knjaževac", financed by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia in two project cycles, 2016 and 2017. The project was spearheaded by the “Njegoš” National Library in Knjaževac. The linguistic team in cooperation with local Roma activists carried out field documentation of the language and folklore tradition of the Roma in Knjaževac and Minićevo. The primary goal was the documentation of Romani language and tradition, the secondary the development and practical implementation of the specific field work methodology. The language material collected was used to compile a Romani-Serbian dictionary with a brief collection of selected texts in Romani
Promotion and Preservation of Gurbet Romani in Eastern Serbia : Actions Targeting Children and Youth
Full text linkThis paper deals with the Gurbet Romani variety spoken in Eastern Serbia, an area with an extensive language contact between Serbian as the dominant language and Romani as a minority language. The paper focuses on the Romani language classes in one of the schools in the town of Knjaževac (Eastern Serbia), as well as on the workshops and publishing activities organised by the local library with the purpose of promoting and preserving Romani varieties through activities targeted at primary-school pupils, but also through publishing the work of young local Roma authors. The aim of the paper is to investigate the ongoing participatory measures taken by the local community in Knjaževac, focusing on those targeting children and youth. I recorded a workshop and several semistructured interviews with the school’s principal, first to fourth grade teachers, pedagogical assistant, Romani language teacher, librarian and pupils. The qualitative analysis suggests that the activities organised by the library in Knjaževac represent significant affirmative measures for the promotion of Romani, which are crucial in the context of marginalization and restricted domains of language usage as indicated by my informants.https://doi.org/10.33063/diva-472012</p
Istraživanje sociolingvističkog pejzaža ladino jezika u savremenoj Srbiji
No full textLadino, or Judeo-Spanish, the historical language of Sephardic Jews, faces severe endangerment globally and in Serbia, where intergenerational transmission has largely ceased. This chapter examines Ladino’s sociolinguistic status in Serbia through data collected via the “Vulnerable Languages and Linguistic Varieties in Serbia” (VLingS) project. The project aimed to assess the vulnerability of several minority languages in the Serbian context and included interviews with 14 Sephardic descendants. Findings reveal a generational decline in Ladino proficiency, with Serbian emerging as the dominant language. Nevertheless, Ladino holds symbolic and cultural importance as a marker of Sephardic heritage and identity. Respondents expressed positive attitudes toward the language, associating it with cultural memory and emotional connection, despite its active use being limited to specific domains such as music, ceremonial events, and familial expressions. The study emphasises that Ladino’s future lies in its postvernacular role, where it functions as a symbolic and cultural asset rather than a vernacular for daily communication. This transition should be facilitated by digital platforms, cultural revitalisation efforts, and educational initiatives that engage younger generations and foster global connections among dispersed Sephardic communities. Ladino’s status in Serbia underscores the evolving relationship between language and identity within multilingual, diasporic communities. Its preservation requires innovative approaches involving community members, cultural organisations, linguists, policymakers, and educators. These efforts should adapt to contemporary sociolinguistic realities while honouring Ladino’s historical and cultural significance.Ladino, ili judeo-španski, istorijski jezik sefardskih Jevreja, suočava se sa ozbiljnom ugroženošću širom sveta i u Srbiji, gde je međugeneracijsko prenošenje uglavnom prestalo. Ovo poglavlje ispituje sociolingvistički status ladina u Srbiji kroz podatke prikupljene putem projekta „Ranjivi jezici i jezičke varijetete u Srbiji“ (VLingS). Cilj projekta je bio da proceni ranjivost nekoliko manjinskih jezika u srpskom kontekstu i obuhvatio je intervjue sa 14 sefardskih potomaka. Rezultati otkrivaju generacijsko nazadovanje u poznavanju ladina, pri čemu se srpski pojavljuje kao dominantan jezik. Ipak, ladino ima simbolički i kulturni značaj kao obeležje sefardskog nasleđa i identiteta. Ispitanici su izrazili pozitivne stavove prema jeziku, povezujući ga sa kulturnim pamćenjem i emocionalnom vezom, uprkos tome što je njegova aktivna upotreba ograničena na određene oblasti kao što su muzika, ceremonijalni događaji i porodični izrazi. Studija naglašava da budućnost ladina leži u njegovoj postvernakularnoj ulozi, gde funkcioniše kao simboličko i kulturno dobro, a ne kao narodni jezik za svakodnevnu komunikaciju. Ovu tranziciju treba da olakšaju digitalne platforme, napori za kulturnu revitalizaciju i obrazovne inicijative koje angažuju mlađe generacije i podstiču globalne veze među raspršenim sefardskim zajednicama. Status ladina u Srbiji naglašava evoluirajući odnos između jezika i identiteta unutar višejezičnih, dijasporskih zajednica. Njegovo očuvanje zahteva inovativne pristupe koji uključuju članove zajednice, kulturne organizacije, lingviste, kreatore politike i edukatore. Ovi napori treba da se prilagode savremenim sociolingvističkim realnostima, uz poštovanje istorijskog i kulturnog značaja ladina
VLINGS QUESTIONNAIRE 1.0
No full textThe chapter describes the process of creating the sociolinguistic VLingS Questionnaire 1.0, aimed at assessing the levels of language endangerment or vulnerability of several minority linguistic varieties spoken in Serbia (Aromanian, Banat Bulgarian, Bayash Romanian, Ladino, Megleno-Romanian, Romani, Vlach, Vojvodina Rusyn). We outline the rationale behind developing this sociolinguistic instrument, as well as the criteria for selecting the linguistic varieties to which the questionnaire was applied during fieldwork. The chapter elaborates on the pilot and main versions of the questionnaire and provides details about the fieldwork. It includes the English translation of the questionnaire originally created and administered in Serbian and explains the adjustments made. We also present the research conducted thus far using the data from the questionnaire, as well as its possible applications to assess the levels of language endangerment of various languages spoken worldwide.Поглавље описује процес стварања социолингвистичког упитника VLingS Questionnaire 1.0, који има за циљ процену нивоа угрожености или рањивости неколико мањинских језичких варијетета који се говоре у Србији (цинцарски, банатски бугарски, бањашки румунски, ладино, меглено-румунски, ромски, влашки, русински). У поглављу се наводе разлози за креирање овог социолингвистичког инструмента, као и критеријуми за избор језичких варијетета на које је упитник примењен током теренских истраживања. Описују се пилот и главна верзија упитника и наводе детаљи о теренском истраживању. Поглавље садржи енглески превод упитника који је првобитно креиран и спроведен на српском језику, као и опис адаптације. Такође се представљају истраживања заснована на подацима прикупљеним применом упитника, као и могуће будуће примене упитника у процени нивоа угрожености језика широм света
A Stroll through the Forestry Maps and Plans – the History of Managing Croatian Forests Exhibition
Full text linkŠumarske karte i planovi – iz povijesti gospodarenja šumama Hrvatske prigodna je izložba u povodu 250 godina hrvatskoga šumarstva, autorice mr. sc. Mirjane Jurić, arhivske savjetnice u Hrvatskom državnom arhivu. Izložba je svečano otvorena 20. listopada 2015. na Šumarskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu.Forestry Maps and Plans – the History of Managing Croatian Forests is a special exhibition to mark 250 years of Croatian forestry. Its author is Mirjana Jurić, MSc, archive consultant at the Croatian State Archives. The exhibition was officially opened on 20 October 2015 at the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Zagreb
Vulnerable and Endangered Languages in Europe
No full textThis book offers a glimpse into the mosaic of Europe’s vulnerable and endangered languages, presenting several case studies from different regions. The languages and varieties in focus are Aromanian, Banat Bulgarian, Fiuman, Irish, Ladino, Romani, Sorbian, Sámi, Štivoroto and Vlach. Each chapter explores the unique challenges faced by these vulnerable and endangered languages and their speakers, highlighting diverse social, political, environmental and economic
factors contributing to their decline. Overall, the chapters paint a complex picture of the sociolinguistic situation in Europe, showing that the causes of endangerment are multifaceted and include social, environmental, political and economic factors. The languages discussed are often deeply intertwined with the identity and culture of marginalised or minority communities. While challenges to revitalisation are significant, there is potential for action, particularly in documentation and community engagement. The editors hope this volume will inspire further research, dialogue and action to protect and promote linguistic diversity
Povijesna šetnja kroz izložbu Šumarske karte i planovi – iz povijesti gospodarenja šumama Hrvatske
No full textForestry Maps and Plans – the History of Managing Croatian Forests is a special exhibition to mark 250 years of Croatian forestry. Its author is Mirjana Jurić, MSc, archive consultant at the Croatian State Archives. The exhibition was officially opened on 20 October 2015 at the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Zagreb.Šumarske karte i planovi – iz povijesti gospodarenja šumama Hrvatske prigodna je izložba u povodu 250 godina hrvatskoga šumarstva, autorice mr. sc. Mirjane Jurić, arhivske savjetnice u Hrvatskom državnom arhivu. Izložba je svečano otvorena 20. listopada 2015. na Šumarskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Tendencies in expressing verbal aspect in the Gurbet Romani: pilot experimental study with elementary-school children
Full text linkThe Romani system of tense-aspect-modality categories consists of three dimensions: aspectual (perfective : non-perfective), temporal (remote : non-remote), and modal (the category “intentionality”). Aspect is expressed as an extension to the verb stem: the perfective aspect is marked with a perfective marker added to the stem in order to express a completed event, whereas the absence of perfectivity provides an ongoing perspective (Matras 2001). This paper reports on a pilot study of verbal aspect in the Gurbet variety of Romani spoken by elementary-school children in eastern Serbia (the village of Minićevo, next to the town of Knjaževac). Participants (7 Romani-Serbian bilingual children aged 7 to 10) were shown short non-verbal cartoons from the serial “Die Sendung mit der Maus”. Participants were asked to retell the content of the cartoons and their production was video-recorded and transcribed. The research was conducted in November 2017, and the material is available in the Digital Archive of the Institute for Balkan Studies (Belgrade). The analysis is based on 23 narratives revealing the following tendencies: perfective markers are added to the verb stems to express completed events; ongoing events are typically unmarked for perfectivity; verbs unmarked for perfectivity additionally refer
to completed events; Serbian loanverbs, morphologically adapted to Romani, are used to convey the aspect; and perfectivity is additionally achieved by borrowing Serbian prefixes. Although the majority of verbs behave in the expected way in terms of aspect, several exceptions are observed, suggesting that the choice of a verb form (perfective vs. nonperfective) might refer to the temporal dimension of an event, to its iterativity, or moreover be used for the narrative purposes
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