The Linguistic Heritage of Industry

Abstract

The goal of this article is to introduce the notion of industrial linguistic heritage into the study of industrial heritage. By combining viewpoints of cultural heritage research and language studies, the article opens new insights into the identities and cultural resources of industrial communities. The linguistic heritage of industry is investigated in the light of two case studies from selected linguistic landscapes of Varkaus, a small industrial community in eastern Finland. The case studies illuminate both multilingualism of the industrial community as industrial linguistic heritage and language as a means to verbalize and commemorate the industrial past of the community. The examination of the linguistic landscape data shows that language is an important strategic means to verbalize the past, to restore shared histories and participatory experiences, and to carry out commemorative identity work in the industrial heritage community.