Why Language Documentation Matters (SpringerBriefs in Linguistics)

98 Pages·2021·2.219 MB·

by  Shobhana L. Chelliah

SPRINGER BRIEFS IN LINGUISTICS
Shobhana L. Chelliah
Why Language
Documentation
Matters
123
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Shobhana L. Chelliah
Why Language
Documentation Matters
ShobhanaL.Chelliah
Linguistics
UniversityofNorthTexas
Denton,TX,USA
ISSN2197-0009 ISSN2197-0017 (electronic)
SpringerBriefsinLinguistics
ISBN978-3-030-66189-2 ISBN978-3-030-66190-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66190-8
©TheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicencetoSpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2021
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Contents
1 Introduction .................................................... 1
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 4
References ...................................................... 5
2 LanguagesHeal ................................................. 7
2.1 AccessandPreservationofOralLiterature ...................... 7
2.2 AccessandPreservationofLegacyMaterials .................... 10
2.3 DocumentationtoSupportLanguageLearning ................... 14
2.4 DocumentationtoSupportLiteracy ............................ 18
2.5 DocumentationofTraditionalKnowledge ....................... 20
2.5.1 DocumentingEthnobotany ............................. 20
2.5.2 DocumentingAgriculturalPractices ..................... 21
2.5.3 DocumentingEthnozoology ............................ 23
2.6 DocumentationofMusicandVerbalArt ........................ 24
2.7 DocumentationforHealthcare ................................. 25
2.8 DocumentationforWellness .................................. 27
2.9 WhyLanguageDocumentationMatters ......................... 27
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 28
References ...................................................... 28
3 LanguagesInform ............................................... 33
3.1 LanguageandCognition ...................................... 34
3.2 LanguageHistory ........................................... 36
3.3 VerbalArt .................................................. 37
3.4 Conclusion ................................................. 38
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 39
References ...................................................... 39
4 ReasonsforEndangerment ....................................... 41
4.1 NaturalDisasters ............................................ 42
4.2 Genocide,Disease,Resettlement .............................. 42
4.3 PoliticalInstability .......................................... 43
v
vi Contents
4.4 WorldLanguages,LinguaFrancas ............................. 45
4.5 MinorityStatus,LanguagePolicy .............................. 45
4.6 Conclusion ................................................. 47
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 47
References ...................................................... 47
5 SupportingLinguisticVitality .................................... 51
5.1 LanguageSurveys ........................................... 51
5.2 LanguageCatalogsandDatabases ............................. 53
5.2.1 Ethnologue ........................................... 53
5.2.2 Glottolog ............................................ 55
5.2.3 ELCat ............................................... 56
5.2.4 Conclusion ........................................... 56
5.3 DigitalLanguageArchives .................................... 57
5.4 FundingResearchandTraining ................................ 59
5.5 LanguageRevitalization ...................................... 61
5.5.1 RevitalizationPrograms ................................ 61
5.5.2 NewMediaandTechnologiesforRevitalization ........... 62
5.5.3 RevitalizationThroughActivism ........................ 63
5.6 Conclusion ................................................. 64
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 64
References ...................................................... 64
6 MethodsinLanguageDocumentationandDescription .............. 69
6.1 WhattoDocument .......................................... 69
6.2 HowtoAddValuetoDocumentation ........................... 71
6.2.1 Recording ............................................ 71
6.2.2 Transcription ......................................... 73
6.2.3 Translation ........................................... 76
6.3 ProductsofLanguageDocumentationandDescription ............ 79
6.3.1 DictionariesandWordlistsinPaper,Online,andPhone
AppFormats ......................................... 79
6.3.2 InterlinearGlossTextsinPaperandOnlineFormats ........ 80
6.3.3 Curated Songs, Performances, and Traditional
Celebrations .......................................... 80
6.3.4 LegacyMaterials ...................................... 82
6.3.5 Photographs .......................................... 82
6.4 Conclusion ................................................. 82
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 83
References ...................................................... 83
7 LinguisticFieldworkContributingtoDocumentation ............... 85
7.1 FoundationalFieldworkinNorthAmerica ...................... 85
7.2 FieldworkbyChristianMissionaries ........................... 88
7.3 PersonalMotivationforDoingFieldwork ....................... 88
7.4 Conclusion ................................................. 89
Contents vii
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 89
References ...................................................... 90
8 ImpactofLanguageDocumentation .............................. 91
QuestionsforDiscussion .......................................... 94
References ...................................................... 94
About the Author
ShobhanaL.Chelliah is Distinguished Research
Professor of Linguistics and Associate Dean of
ResearchandAdvancementattheCollegeofInforma-
tion, University of North Texas. She is a 2021–2022
Nehru-Fulbright Chair awardee. She was a Program
Director for the US National Science Foundation’s
Documenting Endangered Languages Program from
2012–2015 and continues to serve the Foundation as
an external expert. Her research on Tibeto-Burman
languages has been funded by the National Science
Foundation and she has held fellowships from the
AmericanInstituteofIndianStudies,NationalEndow-
ment for the Humanities, and American Council of
Learned Societies. She is the director of the Compu-
tational Resource for South Asian Language Archive
(CoRSAL) at the University of North Texas Digital
Library.Shecontinuestoworkonlong-termdocumen-
tation projects on languages of northeast India with
collaboratorsinManipurandAssam.
ix
Chapter 1
Introduction
Abstract Theeightchaptersofthisbookprovideanoverviewofpractical,human-
istic,andscientificapplicationsofDocumentaryLinguistics,asubfieldoflinguistics
that aims to create a lasting and accessible record of under-resourced languages.
Throughcasestudies,weseehowlanguageusersseekhealingfromhistoricaltrauma
through engagement with community linguistic and cultural materials. We review
examples from low-resourced languages that shed light on new aspects of human
cognitionandcreativity.Weconsiderhowlinguisticdiversitycontinuestobeweak-
enedthroughnaturaldisasters,genocide,disease,resettlement,politicalinstability,
andlanguagepolicies,andhowlanguageusersandlinguistsengageinlanguagerevi-
talization, documentation, and description to intervene and strengthen languages.
Finally, we consider professional and personal motivations for engaging in these
activitiesandtheimpactoflanguagedocumentationonsociety,thediscipline,and
theindividual.
· ·
Keywords Languagedocumentation Documentarylinguistics UNyearof
· ·
indigenouslanguages Documentingendangeredlanguages Descriptive
· ·
linguistics Languagerevitalization Languagereclamation
Analltoocommonscenario:JennybelongstoanIndigenouscommunityof3,000
people spread over 20 villages. An earthquake makes the region uninhabitable,
forcing families to move from the villages to adjacent larger cities. Jenny slowly
forgets much about village life, including how to use her language for day-to-day
communication.Asecondalltoocommonscenario:SumitgrewupinaposhNew
Delhi neighborhood. As a young boy, Sumit spoke Bengali at home, but with his
friendshespokeEnglishandHindi.Now40yearslater,aprofessoratauniversity
inNewZealand,hecannolongerspeakBengaliwithease.He’sforgottenmanyof
thewordsandisembarrassedtospeakbecausehislackoffluencyisobvious.These
twoscenarios,Jenny’sandSumit’s,areradicallydifferentduetothesimplefactthat
whileSumitcanreengagewithBengaliinliterallyhundredsofways(films,books,
the internet, communities of speakers), there is no way for Jenny to engage with
her heritage language. Why? Unlike Bengali, which has many resources, Jenny’s
©TheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicencetoSpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2021 1
S.L.Chelliah,WhyLanguageDocumentationMatters,
SpringerBriefsinLinguistics,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66190-8_1