Language island explained

A language island (a calque of German Sprachinsel; also language enclave, language pocket) is an enclave of a language that is surrounded by one or more different languages.^[1] The term was introduced in 1847.^[2] Many speakers of these languages also have their own distinct culture.

Examples of language islands:

• Alghero
• Arbëresh
• Betawi
• Belgian French of Brussels
• Chipilo and Chipilo Venetian dialect
• Faetar
• Gorani
• Griko & Grecanico
• Khalaj
• Lusatia
• Monégasque
• Narada
• Okuyoshino
• Palenquero
• Pennsylvania German
• Saterland
• Szeklerland
• Swabian Turkey
• Tamanic languages (culturally Dayaks)
• Upper Harz
• Yola
• And within Sinitic:

• Tianjinnese, a Central Mandarin variety surrounded by Northern varieties^[3]

• Ganzhounese, a Southwestern Mandarin variety surrounded by Hakka in southern Jiangxi, being one of the many Junhua

• Cantonese spoken in Sichuan Province

• Hangzhounese, a Mandarinic variety surrounded by Northern Wu lects, caused by the change of capital during the Southern Song dynasty^[4]

• Zhongshan Min, a group of Eastern Min and Southern Min varieties surrounded by Yue varieties, caused by migrants seeking shelter during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

Gallery

File:BelgieGemeenschappenkaart.svg|The predominantly French-speaking enclave of Brussels surrounded by Dutch-speaking areaFile:Romania harta etnica 2011.PNG|Language islands in RomaniaFile:Лужицкие сербы на карте Германии.svg|Sorbian language area in GermanyFile:Banlamgu.svg|Sanxiang of Zhongshan Min can be seen in the west coast of the Pearl River Delta, far from the rest of Southern Min

See also

• Enclave and exclave

Notes and References

1. Language and Space. An International Handbook of Linguistic Variation, Volume 1, 2009, Section "The history of language island research (Sprachinselforschung)", p.335
2. Peter Auer, Frans Hinskens, Paul Kerswill. Dialect change: convergence and divergence in European languages. p. 221. "The term 'Sprachinsel' was used for the first time in 1847 to designate a Slavonic community surrounded by a German-speaking population close to Konigsberg, East Prussia cf. Mattheier 1996. 812"
3. 李世瑜. 韩根东. 略论天津方言岛. 天津师大学报. 1991. 2.
4. Book: Chinese Dialect Classification: A comparative approach to Harngjou, Old Jintarn, and Common Northern Wu. Richard VanNess Simmons. John Benjamins Publishing Co.. 1999.