Traditional Dialect Research Articles

Digital Evolution: Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Local Dialects and Lexicon; An Examination of Central Kurdish Language

This study suggests a digital linguistic approach to multi-mediated communication (MMC), drawing on a case study of language variation on social media. In the early 21st century, social media (SM) has significantly impacted various aspects of human life, including language, as articulated within the theoretical framework of digital linguistics and language variation. This study explores the influence of SM on Kurdish local dialects in Iraqi Kurdistan, with a focus on vocabulary evolution and the ongoing challenge of dialect standardization. Given the high unemployment rates in Iraq, which have led to increased SM engagement, this research examines how these platforms affect dialect usage across diverse demographic groups. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates qualitative content analysis and quantitative surveys to assess SM's role in shaping linguistic practices. Findings reveal thatolder generations are more likely to maintain traditional dialects, while younger users increasingly adopt standardized Kurdish forms. The study highlights SM's dual impact: promoting linguistic convergence while posing risks to dialectal diversity. It emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that supports regional dialects alongside the benefits of standardization, advocating for strategic initiatives to preserve linguistic heritage while adapting to digital influences.

A Negative Way: Dionysian Apophaticism and the Experiential

The experiential bias in modern understandings of spirituality has led to readings of the pre-modern texts of Pseudo-Dionysius as referring to “negative experiences” of faith. Denys Turner, Bernard McGinn, and others have outlined the mistaken “spiritual positivism” of such readings and their contrast with the negative dialectics of the classical apophatic tradition. Indeed, the philosophical parameters of the Christian mysticism of the Dionysian tradition would deny “mystical experience” to be “experience” as such. Nevertheless, several modern theologians have attempted to integrate interpretations of the experiential in Christian mysticism into their theology. These include Sara Coakley in the idea of spiritual sense in her theology of the body, Karl Rahner in the conception of spiritual touch within his theology of grace, and Louis Dupré’s view that there is religious significance in the experience of “emptiness” in modern-day atheism. I shall contrast these attempted integrations with the critique of “mystical experience” within classical understandings of apophaticism.

From Mary Shelley to Stephen King: the transformation of gothic fiction in English literature

The article is dedicated to studying the evolution of the Gothic novel in English-language literature from the 18th century to the modern stage of development through the lens of genre transformations and stylistic modifications. The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of the Gothic novel genre in English-language literature through the prism of genre transformations, the dialectic of tradition and innovation. The research was conducted on the basis of the complex application of the method of analysis and synthesis, comparative-typological, biographical, historical-genetic methods and the method of generalization. By conducting a typological comparison of the early Gothic novel, represented in the works of Horace Walpole, Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe, and the later Gothic novels of Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King, it was found that the peculiarity of mature Gothic novels compared to early ones is authorial subjectivity, vivid imagery, and picturesque quality, which eventually evolves into a fascination with supernatural phenomena and horrors. The figurative and symbolic system of the Gothic novel also evolves, as demons and the deceased are replaced by the innocent image of a child or woman, erasing the gender boundaries of the villain hero as the primary catalyst of the plot.

The Dialectics of Modernity and Tradition: A Decolonial Critique of the University’s Role in Shaping Social Consciousness

Positioned at the intersection of reason and practical life, the study dissecs the university system’s dual role in upholding and contesting the hegemonic narratives of modernity. Through a dialectical analysis, the paper argues how universities have unconsciously perpetuated modern Western concepts of progress and rationality, often overshadowing traditional and indigenous ways of understanding. The article highlights the imperative for universities to undergo a decolonial transformation, integrating contemporary and traditional epistemologies in a dynamic synergy fostering a more encompassing and inclusive societal awareness. The article recommends that academic institutions actively integrate and value diverse epistemologies, challenging long-held Western-centric pedagogies for a more inclusive educational environment. Therefore, dissecting the nuanced interplay between modernity and tradition within universities, this study hopefully will contribute to a deeper understanding of decolonial processes in shaping more holistic and representative knowledge systems in academia.

Language Ideologies and Dialect Shift in Helvécian Portuguese

Abstract Speakers from the Helvécian community in Bahia, Brazil, have been accommodating their language variety towards standard Brazilian Portuguese for the past 60 years. This article demonstrates that a complex web of socioeconomic events is tied to this phenomenon. It provides an overview of the most recent socioeconomic and political changes in the community, combined with a discourse analysis of the metalinguistic commentaries identified in narratives collected during my 2019 fieldwork in the community. The research demonstrates that speakers’ metalinguistic patterns are mediated by iconization, which sees younger speakers linguistically differentiate themselves from the traditional dialect. The findings support the theory that socioeconomic events cause direct linguistic change, especially among speakers of minority languages.

Dialectics of Tradition and Modernity in the Architectural Landscape of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Dialectics of Tradition and Modernity in the Architectural Landscape of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Dialectics of Tradition and Modernity in the Architectural Landscape of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Dialectics of Tradition and Modernity in the Architectural Landscape of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Об одной особенности английского исторического романа рубежа ХХ–ХХI веков: размышляя над статьей Джерома де Гроота

Critically reading the chapter of the famous British specialist in the field of theory and history of the English historical novel, Jerome de Groot, ‘Transgression and Experimentation: A Historical Novel’ in the multiauthored monograph British Fiction: 1980–2018 (Cambridge, 2019), the author of the article reflects on the phenomenon of the primacy of the historical novel in the canon of the contemporary British novel both in the postmodernist and in the post-postmodernist eras. Agreeing with de Groot that the historical novel of the designated period not only preserved the core of the classical genre paradigm, laid down by Sir Walter Scott, but boldly stepped into modernity, modernizing both meaningfully and artistically the eternal dialogue of the past and present, originally inherent in the genre, the author of the article emphasizes how well the chapter fits into the general concept of the monograph – to show the dynamics of British literature precisely through the prism of the dialectic of tradition and experiment. The author of the article agrees with his English colleague that it has been since the 1980s that English contemporary historical novel began to plunge even more thoroughly and philosophically (ontologically), without responding too much to postmodern historical and epistemological doubts, into the eternal questions of existence, the complexity of the dialogue between man and the world, the fate of man and humanity, etc. The author of the article also agrees with the idea of the English literary critic that metafictional historiographical approach and self-reflection (according to Linda Hutcheon) in the British historical novel did not become absolutely dominant phenomena; that the English historical novel of the 1980s and 1990s and onwards, having quickly ‘overcome’ postmodern delights, still retained the tradition of socio-psychological realistic reading of history, even experimenting with narrative, time structure, and historiographical concepts, which was especially characteristic of the female reading of the past (A. Carter, J. Winterson, A. S. Byatt, S. Waters). Simultaneously with the postmodernist exercises inspired in the field of historical narrative and temporal parallel (synonymous, antithetical, alternative) historical constructs, another line matured in the English historical novel, not related to the postmodern game, but related to the desire to reproduce the past in its volume, in the integrity of its cultural appearance, to construct the image of the past, to the ability to immerse the reader in the very existence of history. With the example of the novels by H. Mantel, R. Tremaine, D. Moggach, etc. the author of the article demonstrates this side of the dynamics of the English historical novel, not emphasized by de Groot.

Samuel Pellionis as a dialect poet

The aim of this paper is to explore the extent to which the work of the German dialect poet Samuel Pellionis (1870–1953) from the language enclave region Spiš (Ger. Zips) in Eastern Slovakia fits into or corrects the traditional view of dialect literature. In the first half of the 20th century, German dialect literature was dominated by an effort to depict the ideal rural homeland. However, it was mainly written by academically educated poets who often lived in cities. Samuel Pellionis was a shoemaker without a higher academic education who did not adhere to the standards of traditional dialect literature. Instead of only using the dialect to depict a stereotypical rural environment (parallelism), Pellionis wrote about topics such as the two world wars, politics, or a desire to flee his homeland, which is a deviation from the norm. The article furthermore questions the criteria that poets and literary scholars of the past used to determine whether someone could be considered a poet (instead of being regarded just as an uneducated “rhymer”).

Geolinguistic structures of dialect phonology in the German-speaking Alpine region: A dialectometric approach using crowdsourcing data

Abstract The Alpine region stands out in the German-speaking world for its well-preserved traditional dialects, which continue to play a significant role in daily life. However, the vast geographical range of the Alpine region and the limitations imposed by national and regional borders have hindered comprehensive investigations of the entire Alpine area. To overcome these obstacles, this study utilizes crowdsourcing data from the VerbaAlpina project to investigate phonological and morpho-phonological variation in the German-speaking Alpine region. Although the data were collected in a written form and with a focus on lexical variation, it is shown that the data contain detailed phonological information. By using multivariate dialectometric measurements (i.e. factor analysis [FA]) based on 19 (morpho-)phonological variables (comprising 8,582 tokens), the study explores the geolinguistic structures of the German dialects in the Alpine region. The results confirm, on a general level, the validity of the traditionally established dialect classification. However, the findings also reveal previously underrated border effects, in particular for Bavarian dialects along the German-Austrian border, which are argued to be the outcome of divergence processes. Hence, the study highlights the importance of cross-dialectal and cross-national perspectives in understanding dialect variation and emphasizes the value of crowdsourcing data for dialectological research.

Quantitative Perspectives on the Geolinguistic Structures of Dialect Morphology in Austria

Abstract The traditional focus of (German) dialectology has been on spatial patterns observed in phonology. However, dialectometric approaches have generated interest in exploring geographical structures in other linguistic subsystems, including morphology. Building on this research, this study investigates geolinguistic patterns of dialect morphology in contemporary Austrian dialects using aggregative and non-aggregative measures, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), and Cluster Analysis (CA). Data are based on a comprehensive dialect survey with 163 speakers from 40 locations across Austria, examining 120 linguistic variables related to inflection. The results show a clear geographic structuring of morphological variation, which significantly differs from traditional dialect classifications. The analysis of the linguistic basis of the geographical patterns suggests that these differences might be ascribed to methodological factors and language change. Methodologically, it is also demonstrated that the findings of aggregative and non-aggregative methods are complementary, not contradictory. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of integrating diverse methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of geographical patterns in dialect variation.

The possibilities of friendship within intellectual life: a journey home in practical theology

ABSTRACT The ‘possibilities of friendship within intellectual life’, and the idea of ‘home’ are at the heart of this account of my journey as a practical theologian. The account consists first of some autobiographical reflections to set the context(s), and second of some reflections on the substance of my work as a practical theologian. I reflect on the nature of the discipline of Practical Theology as I have experienced, practised, and taught it, alongside the wider national and international community of practice and scholarship of which I have been part. Key areas which are central to that experience, practice, and teaching are highlighted. Adult Theological Education is connected to a consideration of the dialectic of tradition and experience; research into the life and work of John Ruskin offers new ways of thinking on the work of a practical theologian; engagement with the development and implementation of a Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology richly brings together disparate elements of a long journey. At every point, in different ways, companionship and community of practice emerge as crucial. The work of ‘finding a critical space’ is fundamental to Practical Theology; and it involves the modification and the rediscovery of ‘home’.

Revisiting areal and lexical diffusion: the case of Viennese Monophthongization in Austria’s traditional dialects

AbstractThis paper investigates the geographical and structural diffusion of “Viennese Monophthongization” (VM). By means of a new numerical measure to assess and compare formant movement in 18 lexical items, we provide evidence that VM is an ongoing, regular sound change transforming [aɛ̯] and [aɔ̯] gradually into [æː] and [ɒː]. Data are based on direct dialect recordings of 76 speakers in two age groups in 19 eastern and central Austrian rural locations. Results indicate that VM is diffusing from Vienna in a wave-like fashion. Even though VM is reported to have been established in other bigger cities for more than 30 years, the data show no evidence of diffusion from these cities. There are also other factors affecting the degree of formant movement: The phonetic-phonological environment (stress and the following consonant) explains most of the variance in the data, whereas no frequency effects could be found. Social identity, cultural space, and gender-related network structures are discussed as additional social factors.

Dialectic of Tradition’s Strength and Demand for Flexibility: A Study of Minang Families in Yogyakarta

Dialectic of Tradition’s Strength and Demand for Flexibility: A Study of Minang Families in Yogyakarta

Unity of tradition and innovation as a sustainable development factor of digital society

Against the background of many complex problems threatening the sustainable development of world civilization, the dialectic of tradition and innovation is considered as a pattern of social evolution. The specifics of its implementation are determined by specific historical conditions that allow us to distinguish three stages of development – with the dominance of tradition, the predominance of innovation, the unity of tradition and innovation. The need for such unity in a digital society is due to its characteristics of a “complex society”, a risk society, an increase in the number of social ontologies, and changes in indicators of human subjectivity. The disappearing unambiguity of cause-and-effect relationships, growing social uncertainty create the danger of going off the trajectory of sustainable and effective development, generating the need for a guideline that protects from mistakes. Centuries-old cultural experience, which appears in the modern world as a tradition, can become such a reference point. The mechanism of unity of tradition and innovation is revealed by relying on the structure of spiritual culture, which has a level character and has behavioral, ideological and genetic formations. The realization of their potential is presented as considering the requirements that have developed over thousands of years, and in the form of meanings and archetypes, often inexplicable, but encouraging certain choices and actions. In general, we are talking about the transition from one social type of thinking and activity to another, corresponding to the digital civilization and capable of ensuring the sustainable development of society and the individual.

РУССКАЯ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТЬ В ЭТНОКУЛЬТУРНОМ ДИСКУРСЕ

The authors discuss the methodological problems of civilizational discourse of identity. They deal with the states and ways of overcoming modern "identification crises" of the global civilization, its existential gaps and risks of being. The questions of logic of civilizational self-identification of Russia in the context of ethnocultural self-determination are considered. The authors explore the problem in terms of dialectics of cultural and historical tradition and civilizational innovation; they refer to the contexts of potential ontological integrity of the phenomena of "culture" and "civilization". The authors focus on the tasks of selfpreservation of cultural and historical memory, strengthening the identity core of the national culture sociocode with a positive perception of the extensive native historical experience of ethnic "small worlds" being and harmonization of multi-dimensional communication in the Russian ethnocultural existence.

Christian Sinding’s piano style as a component of European art

Statement of the problem. Christian Sinding is considered “the first after Grieg” at the Norwegian music olympus. He created more than 130 opuses of different genres of music. However, nowadays his works are rarely performed, particularly in Ukraine. Thus, the relevance of the topic of the article is due to the lack of domestic musicology systematic study of Sinding’s piano work as a component of European art. The study of the heritage of the “second star” of Norwegian culture is the overtask of modern musicology – to fill the “white spot” in the study of national piano schools in Western Europe, including Norway, and make the music of this composer recognized and demanded by young performers of the XXI century. The purpose of the article is to represent the individual compositional style of С. Sinding on the basis of his own authorial performance of the analyzed piano pieces. The material for this is the iconic piano works (op. 24, op. 25) of the early and mature periods of creativity, which highlight the style of thinking of the artist. The object of research isthepianostyle of the Norwegian composer Christian Sindingin the prism of European musical culture, the subject – pianominiatures of Sinding. The research methods are based on material that is little known for most of Ukrainian musicians, but belongs to the classical European heritage. Thus, the historical method reveals the dialectic of tradition and innovation in the process of formation of national and individual style in music; genre method – determines the hierarchy of general and specific in the organization of a musical work; stylistic – in addition to the principles of the artist’s thinking indicates the nationally defined features of creativity; performing-interpretive method – reflects the personal feeling of the “sound image” of the piano by the author of the article as the first interpreter of C. Sinding’s music in Ukraine. The results obtained. Generalization of the principles of stylistic thinking of Christian Sinding in the field of his piano work has not received a systematic presentation in existing scientific sources. Therefore, to reveal the relevance of the proposed research topic, we highlight the typical stylistic features and principles of piano work of C. Sinding in terms of its national and stylistic identity. The criterion was the elements of the “national musical language” (according to O. Kozarenko). As for the elements of musical language that affect the sound image of the piano, the work of C. Sinding is characterized by a late romantic paradigm: folklore basis of melody, orchestral richness of piano texture, richness of timbre palette with effects of instrumental sound imitation, complex harmony rhythmic organization, which combines folk dance and instrumental formulas and metric schemes of emphasis (regularity and irregularity). The principles of monotheism and leitmotif are also one of the means of expression of late romanticism as C. Sinding’s worldview paradigm, which certain genre-language tendencies of his piano thinking are concentrated in. Most of the plays have sound effects – imitation of the timbres of folk instruments popular in Norway, including hardingphele, harpsichord, violin. As a result, the levels of stylistic significance of individual elements of the musical language of the artist’s piano works constitute a model of individual compositional style as a reflection of the national mentality of the musical worldview. Prospects for further development of the topic. In the development of the develop edmethodology of analysis of national and musical language C. Sinding will study majorgenres of mature and lateperiods of piano work to sub stantiate the style of thinking of the artist in the paradigms of European culture of Romanticism and modernism of the early twentieth century.

A Folklore Litigation in the Novel Agnaadi by Poomani

Nadar is a term used to describe the primitive manner of life of the human race. People's daily routines and customs are considered to be customs. An ethnic civilization is thought to have developed when customs alter over time and transform into cultural symbols. Every race still retains elements of its traditional dialects even after civilization has advanced. Poomani is regarded as one of the regional authors. He allows the writing to take on its own qualities by combining the aroma of the soil with the free-flowing energies of life. Through the short story ‘Aruppu’, he was introduced to the world of Tamil short stories. Poomani has the ability to write about rural life and aspects of ethnic culture. He wrote a book titled "Agnaadi" in 2012 after researching the history of the residents of Kalingal hamlet in Kovilpatti district. The book won the Sahitya Akademi Award in the year 2014 for its inventive ethnographic history and narrative. The word Agngnaadi means' mother'. It is a term used by certain ethnic groups. In that way, Poomani’s Agnaadi which has recorded rural life has also recorded folk liturgies. This article examines the novel Agnaadi as a case of folklore litigation.

Teachers as new speakers of a minority language: Identity, speakerness, and ideologies on variation in Irish

Aims and objectives: This article reports the ideologies on linguistic variation among a cohort of new speaker teachers (NSTs) of Irish. It investigates responses to the three main traditional dialects of Irish and a post-traditional variety common among new speakers. Design and methodology: An experimental design was employed. Participants responded to 15-second samples of four speakers, first on adjective items referring to speakers’ characteristics (speaker phase) and second on statements referring specifically to the type of Irish in the samples (speech phase). Background information was also gathered, for example, school type, place of origin, and type of Irish spoken. Data and analysis: We present the responses of a subset of 88 NSTs of Irish, focusing specifically on participants’ responses in the speech phase where they evaluated the type of Irish in the samples. Data were analysed to determine whether there were significant differences in the ratings of samples within different respondent subgroups. Findings and conclusions: Some significant differences were found among subgroups. Teachers working in Irish-medium schools align more closely with established native speaker language ideologies than those in English-medium institutions. Participants did not distinguish significantly between their local Gaeltacht variety and other Gaeltacht areas, but did rate all three Gaeltacht samples more positively than the new speaker variety. Finally, participants who self-identify as speakers of ‘standard’ Irish and those who describe themselves as practising a Gaeltacht variety rated the Gaeltacht samples more positively. Originality: While experimental investigations of linguistic ideologies are central to sociolinguistics, this article is original in its focus on the ideologies of NSTs of Irish. Significance and implications: This research illustrates the robustness of established ideologies in the responses of some participants but shows that others challenge these ideologies. Results speak to the complexities and contradictions of identity and speakerness among NSTs of a minority language.

Place identity and authenticity in minority language revitalisation: Scottish Gaelic in Glasgow

Aims and objectives: This paper first aims to examine how young Gaelic-English bilinguals in immersion education produce aspects of Gaelic phonology. We second consider the extent to which they acquire aspects of a traditional dialect. Third, we investigate how young new speakers outside of a traditional community negotiate place identity and authenticity. Methodology: Our methodology first consists of quantitative acoustic and auditory phonetic analysis of word list production data, accompanied by mixed effects regression. Second, we employ qualitative analysis of interview data from the same participants. Data and analysis: Data are presented from 22 speakers aged 13–14 in Gaelic Medium Education in Glasgow and 15 speakers aged 13–14 in GME on the Isle of Lewis. For comparison with a traditional dialect, we also include three speakers from Lewis aged 65–80. Our quantitative analysis considers 3,605 tokens in total and the qualitative analysis considers interview data with all speakers. Conclusions: Our findings show that young speakers reproduce traditional aspects of Gaelic phonology, though generally to a lesser extent that older speakers. Young new speakers in Glasgow recognise that they do not speak a traditional dialect of the language. They are beginning to create a new authenticity associated with belonging to Glasgow, which represents a new acquisition setting. Originality: This study is the first to explore acquisition of dialect and phonology among young new speakers of Gaelic. We explore perceptions of dialect and the implications of not coming from a traditional Gaelic-speaking area for the first time in young people. Implications: Revitalisation settings can lead to successful language acquisition but may also contribute to dialect levelling. However, institutional support structures can lead to increased confidence and new place identities emerging in young speakers.