Language endangerment. The case of Kalmyk language.

Abstract

Abstract Language is a constitutive element of the existence and development of human society, and language diversity is a crucial aspect of social, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Currently, many languages are at risk of endangerment, which can lead to irreversible consequences. One of these languages is the Kalmyk language, the only representative of the Mongolian language family in Europe, an official language in the republic of Kalmykia, Russia. The study contributes to the literature on the state of language, language attitude, language policy, and planning in the context of the Kalmyk language. This thesis is divided into four sections. The first section will give a broad overview of the language endangerment notion and describe the current sociolinguistic situation of the Kalmyk language. Thus, it will present an overview of the factors and consequences of the Kalmyk language attrition and show the importance of discussing and studying the topic. The second section describes language policy and planning in the context of the Kalmyk language: form and implementation. The third section will review language preservation strategies and the role of language identity and attitude in possible language preservation measures. Furthermore, the final section analyses and discusses the research data.