"Living Fossils": The Politics of Language Preservation in Huangshan, China. (7th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ingebretson, Britta
• Is Part Of: Journal of linguistic anthropology. Volume 32:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 116
• Page End: 138
• Publication Date: 2021-10-07
• Subjects: China -- language revitalization -- language loss -- development -- cultural heritage; Anthropological linguistics -- Periodicals; 306.44089
• DOI: 10.1111/jola.12332
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1055-1360

Abstract

Abstract : This article examines the politics of language maintenance in Huangshan, China, home of the Huizhou topolects. I show how, under the guise of celebrating local heritage, local language documentation efforts encourage language demise through preemptive eulogization, the act of portraying a language or culture as being more moribund than it is. This has the effect of hastening language loss by portraying it as inevitable and already well underway. I argue that intentional or unintentional acts of preemptive eulogization may be quite prevalent in minority language efforts worldwide and may help explain the lack of success of language protection projects.