Related Languages Research Articles

Language Policies and Ideologies for Socialization and Identity-Building in U.S. Schools: The Case of Newcomer and Refugee Students in Arizona and New York

Although multilingualism is a major issue in educational policies, especially in states hosting a high number of newcomer immigrant students, there is limited research exploring the experiences of a multilingual group of newcomer students and how they use language in schools. This article draws on 112 interviews with students from an immigrant background across four high schools in Arizona and New York. We illuminate the role of language in shaping identity and inclusion. Through conceptualizing power and language ideology, we find that language ideologies and practices shape the perception of students’ social interactions in school settings. Our findings also indicate that teachers’ practices and school policies surrounding language(s) have the potential to affect how students view language in relation to their own identity and via social interactions. We contribute to an understanding of how language policies and ideologies shape the experiences and power dynamics of diverse, multilingual, immigrant-origin students.

Semantic Analysis of the Linguistic Heritage of the Golden Horde Period: Based on the Material of “Gulistan Bit-Turki” by Seif Sarai and “Khosrov and Shirin” by Qutb

The aim of this study is to examine the written monuments from the Golden Horde period and contemporary literary works, focusing on the frequency of use, functionality, and stylistic features of both indigenous and borrowed vocabulary within literary texts. The lexical units were analyzed using methods such as linguistic-statistical, contextual, historical-comparative, semantic, and contextual analysis. This study explored the literal and figurative meanings of words of Turkic, Arabic, and Persian origin used in the written monuments of the Golden Horde. The research provides insights into the primary lexical layers of the Turkic languages, the time of their formation, and their frequency of use in the literary tradition. Emphasis was placed on examples of contexts that confirm specific lexical meanings, as well as on metaphorical and figurative transformations aimed at achieving stylistic effects. The study also considered the history of the formation of Turkic languages, the adaptation of borrowed lexical layers, and the modification of primary meanings (metaphorical, figurative). Kipchak, Karluk, and Oghuz language elements were highlighted through the analysis of the written monuments, along with their frequency of integration. Contemporary literary texts were examined in terms of the use of lexical elements (both indigenous and borrowed) for artistic purposes. This research can be used for comparative analysis of closely related Turkic languages, the study of contemporary literary texts in terms of the use of indigenous and borrowed lexicon, and for forming an understanding of the ancient lexical layers of various Turkic languages.

The role of contacts within genetically related languages in the formation of Enets idioms

The role of contacts within genetically related languages in the formation of Enets idioms

A next-generation holistic building design framework: a focus on integrating sustainable and vernacular design principles

The proliferation of sustainable design approaches and assessment methods has resulted in a vast array of indicators. However, this abundance often leads to confusion during interpretation and application. Additionally, rapid urbanization and environmental concerns sometimes overshadow social and economic considerations, emphasizing environmental impact reduction. This study addresses these challenges through an integrated approach that combines a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) analysis to provide a holistic model for sustainable building design. The SLR was carried out individually through a relative Structural Query Language (SQL) regarding sustainable building design and vernacular principle. The output of SLR was subjected to DEMATEL model to recognize the holistic indicators interconnection and validate the proposed model. The research identified 23 global indicators for building sustainability worldwide, with five—Energy, Materials & Resources, Sites & Ecology, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Water—emerging as the most prevalent. Additionally, 22 consistently applied indicators in vernacular design practices exhibited significant overlap with those in sustainable design. This model integrated two novel indicators—Vernacular Principles and Social—Culture—with common sustainable building indicators. These primary indicators complement the common and applicable sustainable building indicators, ensuring a balanced approach that considers global contexts. DEMATEL analysis confirmed the validity and interconnection of these indicators, emphasizing the critical role of vernacular principles in achieving true sustainability.

“Initial-a-final”, Luwian low vowels, and language contact in the Syro-Anatolian world

Abstract The Anatolian hieroglyphic inventory features two phonetic signs conventionally translated as “a”: 〈a〉 = L. 450 and 〈a〉 = L. 19. Their distribution has eluded explanation due to the complicated conventions governing the use of the 〈a〉 sign, which can be placed at the end of a word (“initial-a-final”), replaced with 〈a〉 (“a-substitution”), or deleted (“a-deletion”). Some words also regularly change between 〈a〉 and 〈a〉 within their paradigm. Based on a more refined understanding of these conventions, which vary by period and location, and comparison with data from the closely related Lycian language and Luwian names in Greek transmission, it will be suggested that 〈a〉 and 〈a〉 corresponded to the low vowels /a/ and /ɑ/ respectively. It will be argued that distinction between the two vowels in Luwian ultimately arose from the Proto-Anatolian contrast between the short and long non-high vowels, but also in some instances from the Luwic umlaut (mostly anticipatory backing of /a/ to /ɑ/). New evidence is also put forth that the vowel system of some dialects of Late Luwian underwent a change due to contact with Semitic languages. This resulted in an orthographic reform beginning in the late 9th century BC, which has practical implications for the dating of certain inscriptions.

Language Dominance and Cultural Identity Predict Variation in Self-Reported Personality in English and Spanish Among Hispanic/Latino Bilingual Adults

Language is a fundamental aspect of human culture that influences cognitive and perceptual processes. Prior evidence demonstrates personality self-report can vary across multilingual persons’ language contexts. We assessed how cultural identification, language dominance, or both dynamically influence bilingual respondents’ self-conception, via self-reported personality, across English and Spanish contexts. During separate English and Spanish conditions, 133 Hispanic/Latino bilingual participants (70 female) completed the Big Five Inventory of personality. We used language use and acculturation surveys completed in both languages to calculate participants’ relative language dominance and identification with U.S.-American and Hispanic culture. Participants reported higher levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism in English relative to Spanish. Language dominance predicted cross-language differences in personality report, with higher extraversion reported in participants’ dominant language. Within each language, greater endorsement of U.S.-American identity was associated with higher extraversion and conscientiousness and lower reported neuroticism. Agreeableness report in both languages was positively predicted by Hispanic identification. Our results clarify existing literature related to language and cultural effects on personality report among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. These findings could inform assessments of self-relevant cognitions across languages among bilingual populations and hold relevance for health outcomes affected by cultural processes.

Foreign Languages and Aesopianisation: When the Popularity of Fables Unlocks Spanish

Purpose. This article explores the concept of the ‘Aesopianisation’ of other languages, focusing on the idea of using Aesop’s fables as a language learning aid. The fable of “The Fox and the Grapes” serves as an example of the widespread popularity of Aesop's timeless stories, making them an ideal resource to unlock related languages, such as Spanish. Methodology. The integration of beloved fables into reading comprehension and classroom discussion captivates students' imaginations and may help to solve one of the most daunting challenges in education: mastering analytical reading. Employing content analysis, this article delves into the application of narrative popularity effect (NPE) (1), linguistic context predictability (LCP) (2), lexical interlingual cognates (LIC) (3), and collocational patterns (CP) (4) as four useful linguistic tools to solve one of the most daunting educational challenges: unlocking a foreign language through detailed analytical reading. Results. The findings reveal a remarkable ability of these tools to extract the lexicon and structures from ten selected popular fables in Spanish, underscoring the potential efficacy of this approach in language learning. Conclusions. The study suggests that combining linguistic and cultural awareness can be a powerful tool for learning foreign languages, demonstrating that the ‘Aesopianisation’ of a language is indeed possible.

Once Again About the Origin of the Jurak Language

This article reconsiders the material of the disappeared Northern Samoyedic idiom, data on which were collected in the 17th century by G.F. Müller and interpreted by E.A. Helimsky. Linguistically, Jurak is included in the group of Northern Samoyed languages, along with Forest and Tundra Enets, Forest and Tundra Nenets, Nganasan and Mator. Geographically, E.A. Helimsky localizes the Jurak language in the northern part of the interfluve of the Taz and Yenisei. It is significant that Jurak is localized between the Entets language in the east and Nenets in the west. E.A. Helimsky showed that from the point of view of historical phonetics, the Jurak language in some respects occupies an intermediate position between Nenets and Enets. He also notes that a number of Jurak words that do not coincide with Nenets have a parallel in Enets. Based on this, he proposed to consider Jurak a Nenets dialect, which shared some of the characteristics of the neighboring closely related language. This paper proposes to revise the data on the historical phonetics of the Jurak language. It is demonstrated that in different Jurak words the development of the same phonemic sequences can have two options. One variant is shared with the rest of the Nenets dialects, whereas the other with the Enets language. This situation indicates that Jurak is not the result of a diachronically consistent development of a peripheral Nenets dialect in contact with Enets, but is a mixed language with Nenets and Enets components.

Weak Randomness in Graphons and Theons

ABSTRACTCall a hereditary family of graphs strongly persistent if there exists a graphon such that in all subgraphons of , is precisely the class of finite graphs that have positive density in . Our first result is a complete characterization of the hereditary families of graphs that are strongly persistent as precisely those that are closed under substitutions. We call graphons with the self‐similarity property above weakly random. A hereditary family is said to have the weakly random Erdős–Hajnal property () if every graphon that is a limit of graphs in has a weakly random subgraphon. Among families of graphs that are closed under substitutions, we completely characterize the families that belong to as those with “few” prime graphs. We also extend some of the results above to structures in finite relational languages by using the theory of theons.

Linguistic Diversities in Nepal: A Glimpse of Past and Present

Nepal is known m as a multilingual nation; however, language policies and statistics of languages spoken in Nepal showed the challenges to maintain linguistic diversities in Nepal. In this context, aim of this study is to outline the language policies of Nepal. Constitutional provisions and arguments of the participants were analyzed with geographical and historical contexts. The study also presents the current population census and highlights the statistics of languages on the basis of mother tongue, second language and ancestor language. Government reports, law and rules related language policies, published between 1950 to 2013 were analyzed with the opinions and perceptions of the participants. Throughout history, the language politics in Nepal has undergone significant shifts and changes due to various political transformations. Current statistics of languages show that it is difficult to preserve minority languages because he numbers of speakers is very low. Except that lack of sufficient resource mobilization on the preservation of minority languages, confusing government policies, socio economic and cultural shift of the respected language community creates problems to sustain minorities language in Nepal. Finding of this study can be apply to formulate the policies and programs related to the preservation and promotion of endangered language because the study analyzes the present linguistic polices and statistics of the language spoken in Nepal.

The Amazigh language in Melilla (Spain): an approach to its uses and meanings

ABSTRACT The Amazigh language in the city of Melilla (Spain) is recognised as a regional and minority language, but it is not recognised as a co-official language, nor does it have the status of an official language. The unequal relationship between the official language, Spanish, and the Amazigh language has not only linguistic but also social implications, which have been little studied in this particular territory. Against this backdrop, we propose to investigate the situation of the Amazigh language in this context. For this purpose, an exploratory sociolinguistic study has been carried out, which approaches the uses, attitudes and opinions of the Melilla population – speakers and non-speakers – of the language in relation to the role it plays in the life of the city, its contribution to individual and collective cultural identity, as well as the role of political decisions on these dynamics. To this end, a mixed methodology was applied, including a questionnaire, as a pilot application, focus groups and semi-structured group and individual interviews. Among the conclusions, it is clear that there is a differential valuation of languages, which leads to inequalities. In response, the study recommends strong institutional support.

Advancements in Natural Language Understanding- Driven Machine Translation: Focus on English and the Low Resource Dialectal Lusoga

This review explores recent advancements in Natural Language Understanding-driven Machine Translation (NLU-MT) with a focus on English and the low-resource dialectal Lusoga. A Low-resource language, such as Lusoga, faces significant challenges in Machine Translation (MT) due to the scarcity of high-quality parallel corpora, the complex morphology inherent in Bantu languages, and the dialectal variations within Lusoga itself, particularly between Lutenga and Lupakoyo. This paper examines the role of NLU-based MT systems in overcoming these challenges by shifting from word-for-word mapping to meaning-based translations, enabling better handling of these dialectal differences. We highlight the success of leveraging linguistic similarities between Lusoga and related languages, such as Luganda, to improve translation performance through multilingual transfer learning techniques. Key advancements include the use of transformer-based architectures such as Multilingual Bidirectional and Auto-Regressive Transformer (mBART) and Multilingual Text-To-Text Transfer Transformer (mT5), specifically selected for their effectiveness in NLU-driven contexts, which have shown promise in enhancing translation accuracy for African low-resource languages. However, the review also identifies ongoing obstacles, including historical low demand and the lack of well-developed corpora, which hinder scalability. The paper concludes by emphasizing the potential of hybrid approaches that combine community-driven corpus-building initiatives with improved model architectures to drive further progress in low-resource MT. Ultimately, NLU-MT is positioned as a crucial tool not only for bridging communication gaps but also for preserving linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.

El tratamiento de la cultura en las clases de español de enseñanza media en Senegal

Studies on the cultural component in the Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) classroom have seen significant growth in recent decades, although they have been limited in the Senegalese context. Therefore, through this article, we aim to contribute to this field of study. Our objective is to explore the balance of different aspects in the treatment of culture in the teaching of Spanish in the first cycle of secondary education in Senegal: the three cultures, the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, and the culture of the target language in relation to the student's culture. To achieve this, we have reviewed the Senegalese education curriculum and one of the most commonly used textbooks, Horizontes, while also investigating the teaching practices of educators in this stage through a questionnaire. We have observed an imbalance in that "Culture" has a greater presence than "culture", and "culture” is absent from Spanish classes. Additionally, local culture, which is not often approached from an intercultural perspective, is also addressed in the classroom, albeit to a lesser extent than the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, with Spanish culture predominating among them.

Types of play behavior in the expression of the category of relations in the English and Italian languages

The article offers a comparative analysis of the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of the types of play relations in the linguistic world view of non-closely related languages. It involves identifying similarities and differences in the play expression of the category of relations in English and Italian languages. The purpose of the study is a more detailed understanding of the category of relations in the behavioral aspect based on lexemes expressing the concept of play in unrelated languages. The relevance and theoretical novelty of the linguistic analysis of play relations is due to the lack of comparative studies on this issue based on the material of the Italian and English languages in the behavioral aspect. We introduce the concept of observer: the subject of perception and interpretation (ObserverP) and the subject of perception (ObserverA), as an interpreter of types of play relations as a linguistic research tool. The result of the study of the types of play relations is the analysis of lexical units as markers of play behavior in the semiotic and axiological aspects. Analysis of the definitions of lexemes of the compared languages, recorded in dictionaries, showed that, depending on the type of play relations, certain differences appear in the axiological aspect, and, subsequently, manifest themselves in the contexts. In Italian language, a negative assessment is much less common than a positive one when deciphering the semiotics of play behavior. In English language, playful relations reflect the intentions of transferring real behavioural actions into the play; in Italian language, they embellish real behavioral actions. A comparative analysis of language material makes it possible to clearly identify and demonstrate similarities and differences in the understanding and expression of play behavior using material of non-closely related languages.

Languages Generated by Conjunctive Query Fragments of FC[REG

Abstract$${\textsf{FC}}$$ FC is a finite model variant on the theory of concatenation, $${\textsf{FC}[\textsf{REG}]}$$ FC [ REG ] extends $${\textsf{FC}}$$ FC with regular constraints. This paper considers the languages generated by their conjunctive query fragments, and . We compare the expressive power of $${\textsf {FC[REG]-CQ}}$$ FC [ REG ] - CQ to that of various related language generators, such as regular expressions, patterns, and typed patterns. We then consider decision problems for $${\textsf {FC-CQ}}$$ FC - CQ and $${\textsf {FC[REG]-CQ}}$$ FC [ REG ] - CQ , and show that certain static analysis problems (such as equivalence and regularity) are undecidable. While this paper defines $${\textsf {FC-CQ}}$$ FC - CQ based on the logic $${\textsf{FC}}$$ FC , it can equally be understood as synchronized intersections of pattern languages, or as systems of restricted word equations.

New perspectives on morphosyntactic variation in African youth language practices

Abstract Recent years have seen an increase in scholarly attention paid to youth language practices in Africa, with studies examining a range of linguistic phenomena. A parallel development has seen the emergence of work studying morphosyntactic microvariation in Bantu languages, with a view to better understanding structural variation in closely related languages or varieties. This special collection brings together those working in the fields of youth language practices and morphosyntactic variation in Bantu, with a view to exploring the synergies in these areas, as well as moving this domain of inquiry forward. The contributions are united by the authors’ commitment to addressing specific morphosyntactic phenomena which may have otherwise gone unnoticed, or which are less documented in the existing literature – in particular, in the scholarship on the respective base language or dominant language. We hope that the collection of papers both contributes to this body of work and inspires others to take up some of these issues in future research.

The IBIC – a tool for social work? Social documentation, language, and persons with psychiatric disabilities

ABSTRACT In recent years, many municipalities in Sweden are using a standardised method – the ‘Individual’s Needs in Focus’ (IBIC) for investigating needs of social support, as recommended by the National Board of Health and Welfare. The model is based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), with a so called ‘biopsychosocial’ approach and predefined categories and classifications. The article takes a critical perspective on standardised methods in social work, specifically examining language, content, and structure in the documentation of the IBIC. We problematise how well the IBIC’s documentation fit social work in general and investigations concerning individuals with psychiatric disabilities requiring support in daily living in particular. A total of 80 investigations from four municipalities were examined in regard to language, content, and structure in relation to the context of social work. The study identified three main linguistic trends: biomedical, task-oriented, and bureaucratic language. However, none of these trends were anchored in the nomenclature of social work.

Você + 2SG in Cabindan Portuguese (Angola): Two effects of language contact

This article describes the system of address forms in Cabindan Portuguese (Angola), particularly the widespread use of você (largely displacing both o senhor and tu) and the formation of a paradigm that –only if our interest is diachronic– can be characterized as hybrid. This paradigm is marked by the combination of the independent(/oblique) pronoun você with at least some forms derived from the tu-paradigm (object clitics, possessives, and, to a much lesser extent, verb endings). Additionally, it is proposed that the adaptative success of both features was, to some extent, determined by Kikongo, a continuum of genetically and typologically related Bantu languages, which provides structural and pragmatic models that seem to have been transferred to Portuguese in the usage of bilingual speakers. Finally, it is suggested that these features might be particularly well represented within the Romania Bantu, i.e. the Bantu-influenced areas of the Romance-speaking world.

Childhood language development and alexithymia in adolescence: an 8-year longitudinal study.

Alexithymia (difficulties identifying and describing feelings) predicts increased risks for psychopathology, especially during the transition from childhood to adolescence. However, little is known of the early contributors to alexithymia. The language hypothesis of alexithymia suggests that language deficits play a primary role in predisposing language-impaired groups to developing alexithymia; yet longitudinal data tracking prospective relationship between language function and alexithymia are scarce. Leveraging data from the Surrey Communication and Language in Education cohort (N = 229, mean age at time point 1 = 5.32 years, SD = 0.29, 51.1% female), we investigated the prospective link between childhood language development and alexithymic traits in adolescence. Results indicated that boys with low language function at ages 4-5 years, and those who later met the diagnostic criteria for language disorders at ages 5-6 years, reported elevated alexithymic traits when they reached adolescence. Parent-reported child syntax abilities at ages 5-6 years revealed a dimensional relationship with alexithymic traits, and this was consistent with behavioral assessments on related structural language abilities. Empirically derived language groups and latent language trajectories did not predict alexithymic traits in adolescence. While findings support the language hypothesis of alexithymia, greater specificity of the alexithymia construct in developmental populations is needed to guide clinical interventions.

Multigroup Analysis on Live Selling Purchase Intention in E-Commerce Platform: The Role of Relational Bonds, Language Attitude and Streamer Ability to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Objective: The study aims to analyze the effect of relational bonds and language attitude on streamer ability and live selling purchase intention to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)). It also seeks to reveal the differences in test results between two groups: printed Batik consumers and hand-written Batik consumers. Theoretical Framework: This study employs the theories of relational bonds, language attitude, streamer ability, and live selling purchase intention. Method: This research is a quantitative study that uses convenience sampling with 220 respondents who are consumers of both printed and hand-written Batik. Data is analyzed using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) with Smart-PLS. The analysis includes a multigroup analysis to compare the effects between the two groups. Results and Discussion: The results of the analysis show that the relational bonds and the language attitude of the costumer have a positive effect on the streamer ability and live selling purchase intention to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The results of the multi-group analysis indicate differences in the analysis between printed Batik consumers regarding the effect of language attitude on streamer ability and the effect of relational bonds on live selling purchase intention. Research Implications: This study proposes several efforts to increase Batik sales, particularly through digital platforms capable of reaching a wider market share. Originality/Value: The study highlights how cultural products like Batik can be marketed effectively through digital platforms, emphasizing the role of cultural authenticity and quality in consumer decision-making to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).