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Esperanto as diaspora language

de Tempodivalse, 4 mai 2015

Messages : 7

Langue: English

Tempodivalse (Voir le profil) 4 mai 2015 04:27:03

Several writers (including none other than Claude Piron) have on occasion referred to Esperanto as a "diaspora language".

Piron, for example, talks of certain lexical terms "spreading" throughout the "diaspora" during the language's evolution (Sec. 10).

I found this an interesting way of describing Esperanto - by essentially comparing it to languages like Yiddish or Yoruba. There are fewer characteristics shared by Esperantists than by speakers of those languages (e.g., ethnicity, religion). I always think of Esperantists as a deeply diverse lot, with almost nothing uniting them but the language. Yet the comparison still seems plausible.

Alkanadi (Voir le profil) 4 mai 2015 13:44:27

Interesting concept. I am not sure if Esperanto could be grouped into this category though. But, it seems as though Esperanto probably shares a lot of similarities with diaspora languages.

Tempodivalse (Voir le profil) 4 mai 2015 18:39:03

A related question is, Does Esperanto's evolution mirror that of diaspora languages? Or is there no significant difference in the way diaspora and non-diaspora language evolve? My suspicion is that there is a difference, but I have very little knowledge on the subject.

Outwardly, in terms of number of speakers, geographic distribution, and possibly evolution, Esperanto is quite similar to Armenian, Yiddish, etc. So why would the "Esperanto diaspora" be a misnomer? Is it just the lack of an ethnic cohesion?

Raumistoj often treat Esperanto like a diaspora language - e.g., it's a minority language, let us preserve its history, heritage, for its own sake, etc.

Alkanadi (Voir le profil) 5 mai 2015 08:31:06

Tempodivalse:A related question is, Does Esperanto's evolution mirror that of diaspora languages? Or is there no significant difference in the way diaspora and non-diaspora language evolve? My suspicion is that there is a difference, but I have very little knowledge on the subject.
I don't know much about it either. I think a diaspora language is one that exists for the sake of preserving cultural identity.

One difference that I can point out is that Esperanto is not spoken for the sake of identity. I don't think.

Tempodivalse (Voir le profil) 5 mai 2015 20:12:56

Alkanadi:One difference that I can point out is that Esperanto is not spoken for the sake of identity. I don't think.
That is perhaps not so uncontroversial, though ... cf. Raumism.

Wikipedia:Raumism turns away from goals like finvenkismo and emphasizes instead the fact that the Esperanto-speaking community has itself become a culture, worthy of preservation and promotion for its own sake.
I am not unsympathetic with this position, but it would be illuminating to hear what self-professed Raumists (or finvenkistoj) have to say.

ryd (Voir le profil) 5 décembre 2024 03:49:35

Mi pensas ke Esperanto estas ne nur internacia sed ankaŭ interracia lingvo.

Altebrilas (Voir le profil) 5 décembre 2024 06:13:57

Ĉu racio pluras?...........

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