MINORITY LANGUAGES, MARGINALIZED LANGUAGES, MINORITIZED LANGUAGES OR LANGUAGE IN A MINORITIAL SITUATION? ATTEMPTED DEFINITION AND PERFORMANCES

Abstract

The article presents a sociolinguistic typology of languages that make up the categorical field of a linguistic minority. Meanings and connotations behind such concepts as minorization and minoriza-tion are considered, semantic analysis is presented, similarities and differences of such nominations of minority languages, marginalized language, minorized language and a language in a minoritial situation are given. The semantic analysis is supported by the description of situations corresponding to different categories. While creating a typology the author shows the role of extralinguistic quantitative and qualitative parameters influencing the sociolinguistic type of language. He emphasizes that minority and minoritized languages are not synonymous since the first one is primarily based on quantitative parameters of various types, mostly demoligistic, and second one lies on qualitative parameters, macro-sociolinguistic, functional and sociocultural associated with its status. Special attention is drawn to languages that are put into the conditions of migration as they may experience double or triple pressure from the dominant languages due to their initial status.

Keywords

• социолингвистика
• семантика
• категоризация
• миноритарный язык
• ситуация миноритарности
• типология