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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.
- ^ Language and Space. An International Handbook of Linguistic Variation, Volume 1, 2009, Section "The history of language island research (Sprachinselforschung)", p.335
- ^ 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"
- ^ 李世瑜; 韩根东 (1991). "略论天津方言岛". 天津师大学报 (2).
- ^ Richard VanNess Simmons (1999). Chinese Dialect Classification: A comparative approach to Harngjou, Old Jintarn, and Common Northern Wu. John Benjamins Publishing Co.