Impact of Outmigration and Intermarriage on the Endangerment of Azerbaijani Turkish

Document Type : .

Author

Abstract

Endangerment of language resources and treasures is accepted worldwide as an undeniable fact. About 90 percent of the approximately 7000 languages and dialects are predicted to lose all of their speakers up to the end of the century. Indigenous languages of ethnic minorities in an unequal battle with the dominant languages are in danger and threat. Iran is a multiethnic country and Azerbaijani Turkish with a large number of speakers is one of the most important languages in the country. However, comprehensive sociological studies which scrutinize the situation and status of this language are scarce . The researches about other languages and dialects of Iran, including Baluchi, Mazandarani, Bakhtiari, and Gilaki show that most of them are at risk of decline. Despite having a large speaker population, Azerbaijani Turkish is as well expected to face a  similar situation, and Persian as  the dominant and most prestigious language of the country,  is expected to negatively affect the current position of the ethnic languages even more than before. To test such a hypothesis, 180 questionnaires were distributed among 180 male and female respondents  who were randomly selected from different regions of the three cities of Tabriz, Ahar and Marand to answer 44 questions to evaluate the influence of factors of out-migration (migration to Persian speaking areas) and intermarriage on the endangerment of Azerbaijani Turkish. Statistical analysis of the questionnaire data suggests that these factors have had very negative impact on this language and have largely interrupted intergenerational transmission of language in immigrant families, which is the most important factor for survival and endurance of a language.

Keywords


فایل پی دی اف را دریافت نمایید

اتابکی، تورج (1376). آذربایجان در تاریخ معاصر ایران. ترجمـۀ محمدکریم اشراق. تهران:توس.
ایسکانیوز (فروردین 1389). رییس مجمع نمایندگان آذربایجان شرقی:عدم توجه به بخش مرکزی اهر موجب خالی‌شدن روستاها شده است. برگرفته از:
aharnews.blogfa.com/8901.aspx
بنی هاشمی، میر قاسم (1382). بررسی جامعه‌شناختی حرکت‌های قومی محلی در آذربایجان پس از انقلاب اسلامی. تهران: پژوهشکدۀ مطالعات راهبردی.
جامی، حسن (1381). گذشته چراغ راه آینده است. تهران: اندیشۀ نو.
داورنیا، عباس (1385). علل و شاخصه‌های تغییر زبان ترک‌های تهران. تهران: اندیشۀ نو.
خبرگزاری فارس (دوشنبه، 27 اردیبهشت 1389). مدیرکل امور روستایی استانداری آذربایجان شرقی: 290 روستای آذربایجان شرقی خالی از سکنه است. برگرفته از:
www.farsnews.com
دوهفته‌نامۀ گویا (24 مهر 1389). یک‌سوم تعداد روستاهای آذربایجان شرقی در منطقۀ ارسباران. برگرفته از:
http://gooyanews.ir/gooya/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=53
سلطانزاده، هدایت (1384). زبان، ایدئولوژی و هویت ملی. برگرفته از:
 
هفته‌نامۀ بین‌المللی اقتصادی و اجتماعی تجارت و توسعه (شنبه 3 مهر 1389). آذربایجان شرقی، مهاجرفرست‌ترین استان کشور. محل نشر: تبریز.
 
Adegbija, E. (2004). "Language policy and planning in Nigeria". In Current Issues in Language Planning,Vol.5(3), 181-239. London: Routledge.
Aghajanian, A. (1983). "Ethnic inequality in Iran: An overview". In International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol.15, 211-224.
Anderson, J. N. &V. B. Anderson (2008)."Pangasinan: An endangered language? Retrospect and prospect". Retrieved from the Web May 2, 2009.
Asgharzadeh, A. (2007). Iran and the Challenge of Diversity. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Press.
Atabaki, T. (2005)."Ethnic diversity and territorial integrity of Iran: Domestic harmony and regional challenges".inIranian Studies, Vol. 38(1), 23-44. London: Routledge.
Baker, C. (1995). Attitudes and Language. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Brenzinger, M. (2005)."Documenting endangered languages and language maintenance".Retreived from the Web April 14, 2009.
Crawford, J. (1995). "Endangered native American languages: What is to be done, and why?".Retrieved from the Web June 7, 2008.
Crystal, D. (2000). Language Death. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2000). Linguistic Variation as Social Practice. Oxford: Blackwell.
Edwards,J. (1992)."Sociopolitical aspects of language maintenance and loss: Towards a typology of minority language situations". In Maintenance and Loss of Minority Languages. Amsterdam: John Benjamins , 37–54
Evans, N. (2010).Dying Words: Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell Us.Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Grenoble, L. & L. J. Whaley (Eds.) (1998).Endangered Languages:
Current Issues and Future Prospects. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Harrsion, K. D. (2007). When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World’s Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Maffi, L.&D. Harmon (2003). Sharing a World of Difference: The Earth's Linguistic, Cultural and Biological Diversity.UNESCO:World Wildlife Fund, Terralingua (Organization).
Mafinezam, A. & A. Mehrabi. (2008). Iran and its Place among Nations. London: Praeger.
Mithun, M.) 1998(."The significance of diversity in language endangerment and preservation". In Endangered Languages: Current Issuesand Future Prospects,163–91.
Myers-Scotton, C. (2006). Multiple Voices.An Introduction to Bilingualism. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Nettle, D. & S. Romaine (2000).Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World’s Languages. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Price, M. (2005). Iran’s Diverse Peoples: A Reference SourceBook. California: ABC-CLIO Inc.
Riese, T. (2002).Encounter of cultures: Language death. Retrieved from the Web May 10, 2008.
Robins, R. H. & E. Uhlenbeck (Eds.) (1991).Endangered languages.Oxford: Berg.
Shaffer, B. (2002). Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Thorburn, J. (2006). Language Attitudes and Use in the Innu Community of Shshatshiu, Labrador. Unpublished MA Thesis. Memorial University of New foundland.
UNESCO (2003). "Language vitality and endangerment: UNESCO ad hoc expertgroup on endangered languages". Retrieved from the Web May 4, 2009.
Whalen, D. & D. Harrison (2004). "The World’s endangered languages". In Microsoft Encarta Reference Library.
riage, Language Endangerment.