The Languages of Smaller Populations: Risks and Possibilities. Lectures from the Tallinn Conference, 16–17 March 2012
Urmas Bereczki
16.–17. märtsil 2012 toimus Eesti Rahvusraamatukogus rahvusvaheline ja interdistsiplinaarne konverents, mille pealkirjaks ja teemaks oli „Väikerahvaste keelte riskid ja võimalused“. Ürituse patrooniks oli Riigikogu esimees pr Ene Ergma, president Toomas Hendrik Ilves saatis kirjaliku läkituse konverentsi ja sellel osalejate tervituseks. Konverentsil osales kokku 20 teadlast 9 erinevast riigist: Eestile lisaks Gröönimaalt (Taani), Walesist (Ühendkuningriik), Prantsusmaalt, Itaaliast, Ungarist, Lätist, Soomest ja Venemaalt. Ettekanded tegelesid osalt väikerahvaste keelte ellujäämisstrateegiatega, osalt aga keele ja kultuuri erinevate ilmnemisvormide ning nende omavaheliste seoste dünaamikaga, millest pika peale keelte jätkusuutlikkus paljuski oleneb.
Urmas Bereczki
The Languages of Smaller Populations: Risks and Possibilities. Lectures from the Tallinn Conference, 16–17 March 2012
We do not know how many languages were spoken on our planet over the last two thousand years. We do know, however, that by the end of the 21st Century over 90 % of the languages spoken today are endangered. It is seen as a scientific probability that of the 6,000 languages currently spoken, between 50–90 % will have died out by the end of the XXI Century. Will our mother tongue be among them? This is the question that immediately comes to mind. This fear may be related to our natural instinct of self-preservation, as we tend to identify the fate of our language with the fate of our nation and the nation’s destiny with our individual fate.
The fear of the extinction of our language and our very nation may be a fear as old as human culture itself. This fear, while perhaps inherent, became part of common discourse as influenced by the thoughts and activities of Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744–1803). Herder’s concepts, the “death of nation” among them, had a direct effect on the development of several branches of science and more indirectly on the shaping of certain nations’ fates through their respective writers’ ideas and works. Cognizant of this or not, this fear of the extinction of our language still plays in our minds both consciously and subconsciously. If this instinctive fear is unavoidable, we must realize and articulate it. Thus, we would have a better chance of allaying our fears, fears which would otherwise paralyze our ability to move beyond them.
В В В В Urmas Bereczki
CALL FOR PAPERS
Languages of Smaller Populations: Risks and Possibilities
The Small Conference Hall of the National Library of Estonia
Tallinn, Estonia
16–17 March, 2012
The Hungarian Institute in Tallinn, the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, and the NPO Fenno-Ugria, are organizing a conference which will focus on the different aspects of fear that coincide with losing one’s mother tongue. The dual purpose of this interdisciplinary conference will be to highlight key aspects of the history of the concept of language extinction as well as to look for possible links between the concerns about the loss of a language and the cultural phenomena (like survival strategies for endangered languages) of society today.
The Program Committee invites proposals for papers, which should focus on the presenters’ individual research in the context of the aforementioned concepts. Proposals should consist of a 200–250 word abstract; a brief academic curriculum vitae, including degrees earned and academic concentration(s) (50–100 words); institutional affiliation; compete contact information and a description of any audio-visual requirements. Proposals must be received by the deadline date of 10 February 2012. Submissions must be sent as an email attachment (Word document only), to the Program Committee Secretary as listed below. Proposals must include the participant’s last name in the document’s