Belarusian and its subdialects in Latvia: history, present day, future perspectives

0543159 - SLÚ 2022 RIV LV eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Jankowiak, Mirosław
Belarusian and its subdialects in Latvia: history, present day, future perspectives.
Linguistica Lettica. Roč. 28, č. 2020 (2020), s. 94-117. ISSN 1407-1932
Institucionální podpora: RVO:68378017
Klíčová slova: Belarusian language * Belarusian subdialects * Belarusian language in Latvia * Belarusian-Latvian borderland
Obor OECD: Specific languages
Způsob publikování: Open access
https://dspace.lu.lv/dspace/bitstream/handle/7/54429/Linguistica_Lettica_28.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

The aim of this paper is to show how the Belarusian language and its subdialects have functioned in Latvia over the centuries, from the medieval times to this day. The earliest presence of Belarusian subdialects (spoken by the Krivich tribes) in Latgale can be attested in the Middle Ages, when the Principality of Polotsk exerted influence over Latgalian lands. Belarusian subdialects in the Latvian territory were thoroughly established in the second half of the 19th century and are still functioning today. This paper will discuss such aspects as the beginnings of Belarusian subdialects in Latvia, their prevalence and usage in specific areas of life, as well as the chances of preserving them in the future. Many factors have influenced the geographical and functional range of Belarusian subdialects: administrative ownership of lands, population movement, state support (or lack thereof) for organisations of national minorities, availability of education in the Belarusian language, etc. The research is based on available materials and publications and, above all, on the data collected by the author during dialectological expeditions (2004–2019, ca. 300 hours of interviews).
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0320531