SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT FOR MINORITY ETHNICITIESOF DAGESTAN: FEASIBILITY VS. POSSIBILITY(HISTORICAL AND SOCIOLINGUISTIC ASPECT)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32653/CH222%25pKeywords:
Minority ethnic groups of Dagestan, problems of creating a written language, the vitality of unwritten languagesAbstract
This article explores some challenges and methodologies of developing writing systems for the minority peoples of Dagestan who historically possessed unwritten cultures. Analyzing the interplay between available sociolinguistic resources and programmatic progress, the research focuses on the fourteen “unwritten languages of Dagestan” (including Andi, Archi, Akhvakh, Bagvalin, Bezhta, Botlikh, Ginukh, Godoberi, Gunzib, Karata, Tindin, Khvarshi, Tsez, and Chamal), whose speech communities range from 21,000 to 635,000 speakers. The study thoroughly reviews historical precedents, tracing the major stages of script development for literary Dagestani languages across the Arabic-based Ajam, Latin, and Cyrillic alphabets. By addressing contemporary graphic and orthographic challenges, this paper systematizes the primary modern approaches to script implementation. It notes that even without formal literary status, these languages have partially assumed written functions through the compilation of dictionaries, academic grammars, textbooks, folklore collections, and local newspaper publications. Consequently, current efforts represent less of a pioneering enterprise and more of a practical standardization of existing alphabets for minority ethnic groups. The authors acknowledge that the socio-cultural expectations of codification are rarely fully met; while implementing constitutional language rights expands opportunities for popularization, it cannot entirely counteract the pressures of globalization, linguistic homogenization, or shifting demographics. Given the linguistic attrition caused by migration and urbanization, the authors emphasize the urgent need to preserve these distinct linguistic ecosystems. Ultimately, they argue that maintaining these languages safeguards a unique cultural landscape and enhances the socio-cultural and material vitality of the ethnic groups’ traditional regions.
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