In Defense of Linguistic Diversity. EXPOLINGUA 2011

EXPOLINGUA BERLIN 2011

• In Defense of Linguistic Diversity
Itziar Idiazabal
University of the Basque Country

EXPOLINGUA BERLIN 2011

• Presentation of the Chair: main goals and
some works:
– Languages of the World, of Europe, of America,…
– Languages of Immigration in the Basque Country
– Language attitudes
– An example of a project of revitalization of an
endangered language: Embera

EXPOLINGUA 2011. In Defense of Linguistic Diversity. Itziar Idiazabal, UPV/EHU

UNESCO Chair on World Language Heritage of the
UPV/EHU
•The chair was created in 2006 as an agreement between UNESCO
and the University of the Basque Country.
•Principal supporter and promoter: Unescoetxea (Unesco Centre of the
Basque Country)
•The main goal of the Chair is to know and to let it know the liguistic
diversity of both the World and the Basque Country.
•The purpose is to strengthen the minorized/endangered languages.
•Main research topics are: language diversity knowledge, language
attitudes, language normalisation policies, multilingual education
systems


World Language Diversity at Risk

•6000 languages in the world
•Diferent language families: Indoeuropean, australian, amerindian,…
•22% of the world population speaks 98% of the languages
•78% of the population speaks only the 1,2% of the languages
•Most of the languages are threatened.
•In the XXI century, 50% of the languages could dissapear if measures
are not taken
(Martì et al. 2005)

6000 LANGUAGES OF DIFERENT FAMILIES

Martí f., Ortega, p.
Idiazabal i., Barreña, a.,
Juaristi, p., Junyent, c.,
Uranga, b. & Amorrortu, e.
(Ed.) (2005). Words and
Worlds. World Language
Review: Clevedon U.K.:
Multilingual Matters


EUROPE
•230 languages
•There are no monolingual States
•Only 35 languages are oficial/cooficial in the 50 States of
Europe. (Barreña et al., 2005)

Geographic distribution of european languages


MAIN LANGUAGE FAMILIES IN EUROPE
•Slavic
•Latin/romanice
•Germanic
•Celtic
•Caucasian
•Uralian
•Altai
•Other Indo-European languages
•Isolated languages as Basque


100 LANGUAGES OF IMMIGRATION IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Akoose (bakossi), Alemán, Amárico, Árabe de Argelia, Árabe de Iraq, Árabe de Libia,
Árabe de Marruecos, Árabe del Sahara, Armenio, Aymara, Azerí, Balanta, Bambara
(bamanankan), Basa, Bayangi (Kenyango), Bengalí, Bete, Bielorruso, Bozo (boso),
Bubi, Búlgaro, Caboverdiano, Calmuco, Castellano, Catalán, Chino cantonés, Chino
mandarín, Coreano, Criollo inglés, Danés, Diola (Jula), Duala, Edo, Empongompongo
(mboh), Entomba (ntomba), Ewondo, Fang, Fante, Fe’fe’ (bamileke), Finlandés,
Francés, Gaélico de Irlanda, Gallego, Georgiano, Griego, Guaraní, Gun (goun goun),
Hausa, Hindi, Húngaro, Igbo, Inglés, Italiano, Japonés, Jola, Kongo (kikongo), Krioulo
de Bijagos, Lingala, Lituano, Lyele, Mandinga, Maninka, Maninkakan, Mapudungun,
Mingrelio, Mongo, Nederlandés, Nepalí, Ngombe, Ngumba, Ngumbi (kombo), Pashto,
Penjabí, Pidgin inglés de Nigeria, Polaco, Portugués, Pular, Quechua, Quichua,
Romaní, Rumano, Ruso, Saraiki, Senufo, Serbio, Serere sine, Serpa, Songhay
(songái), Soninke, Sueco, Susu, Svano, Swahili, Tagalo, Tamazight, Tuba (Kituba),
Tunén (mbanen), Ucraniano, Urdu, Wolof, Yombe, Yoruba. (Uranga et al. 2008)

Geographical origin of Immigration Languages Spoken in the Basque Country


Immigrant population of the Basque Country (2008) and their languages by
geographic continents (Source: Uranga et al., 2008)

-Uranga, B., Aierdi,
X., Idiazabal, I.,
Amorrortu, E.,
Barreña, A., Ortega,
A. &. Izagirre, E.
(2008) Hizkuntzak eta
immigrazioa.Lenguas
e inmigración. Bilbao:
Ikuspegi-Amarauna
UNESCO Etxea.


-How do the basques feel about language
diversity?
-For instance, what are the attitudes concerning Basque
language, if they are non-basque speakers?
(Amorrortu et al. 2008)
-Basque speaking population: 35% of 2 milion people.
- 65% of non-Basque speakers have tried to learn
Basque
- Less than 10% say that are not interested in this
language.


•What can we do to revitalize an endangered
language?

Example: Revitalization Project of Embera
language of Chocó, Colombia (2011-2013)

Project supported by: AECID (11-CAP1-0534) and Basque Government
(Orden 2011/03716)


EMBERA
•Embera is spoken in the South-west of Panama
and in the western side of Colombia, the Pacific
coastal regions of Antioquia, Córdoba, Chocó,
Cauca, Caldas and Nariño (Hoyos Benitéz, 2000).
•In the map, Emberas’ territory is in green (L1:
Embera, in Panama and Colombia). Uranga et al.,
2007
•Endangered Language Windows in AZKUE Foundation
http://www.hizkuntzagutxituak.net/

• http://www.hizkuntzagutxituak.net/


Aimara (Amerika) Aymara, aymara
Amharera (Afrika) Amharic, amarico
Aranera (Europa) , Aranese, aranés
Bambara (Af) , Bambara, bambara
Emberera (Am), Embera, embera
Fangera (Af) , Fang, fang
Frisiera (E) Frisian, frisio
Igboera (Af) , Igbo, igbo
Mandikera (Af) Mandinka, mandinka
Maninka (Af) Maninka, maninka
Mapudungun (Am) , mapudungun, mapudungun
Quechuera (Am), Quechua, quechua
Quichuera (Am), Quichua, quichua
Sherpera (Asia), Sherpa, sherpa
Swahilia (Af), Swahili, swahili
Tagaloga (As), Tagalog, tagalog
Tamazigtha (Af), Amazig, tamazight

Languages of Colombia. Landaburu,2007


•SITUATION OF THE EMBERA LANGUAGE

•Even if precise data are not available, it is believed that the approximate number of Embera speakers is around 70,000
(Aguirre, 1999), although others decrease the figure to around 50,000 (Moreno Cabrera, 2003). Generally, most of the
speakers try to live in their own community, and it is in this situation that their language and culture are best maintained.
• However, Embera and the preservation of its culture are very much linked to the serious situation in the region.
The armed groups expelled the Embera from their native lands and, the Embera often find themselves displaced
without a place to live in. The region is very rich in valuable minerals, but the exploitation of these minerals brings with it
the expropriation of the Embera territory.
• Landaburu (2007) saiys that, out of more than sixty ethnic groups in Colombia, the Embera are among those
with the greater number of speakers, together with the Nasas (who speak Yuwe) and the Wayuus (Wayuu language).
Because of this reason Embera is believed to stand a good chance to survive.
• There are descriptive grammars, phonological investigations and lexical inventories on Embera, ( all of them
made by non-embera researchers). Recently, the Embera have shown an interest in using their language in their
schools and in their writings, and are taking the first steps in this direction.
• The native culture and believes prevail among the Embera. Among them the jai and the jaibana should be
mentioned. Anybody who takes part in the Embera believes has its own energy, jai. The main ones are the jai of water
(dojura), the jai of the river side plants and animals (wandra) and the jay of the forest (antumia). The Jaibanas are
shamans that can attract and use the jai for the protection and development of the group and for their own protection
from outsiders. By way of a special ceremony, the jaibanas can call the jais and use them to enhance the jaibanas
energy (Vasco, 1985).


•CLASIFICATION OF THE LANGUAGE

•Embera and Waunana are the only surviving languages from the Chocó
language group. So far it has not been proven their relation to any surrounding
language. Waunana is spoken by 5,000 people, on the Pacific coast of
Colombia, in the southern part of the Embera territory.
• Embera has various dialects, but even if before they were divided
according to territory, nowadays the speakers of the different Embera dialects
can be found together in the same community, due to displacements provoked
by the armed forces. Apparently they can communicate with each other,
regardless of the dialect or the variety spoken (Romero Loaiza, 2002).
• The three dialects spoken in the department of Chocó are oibida or
chamí, dobida, and eyabida or katio (the dialect of the forest, of the river, and
the mountain, respectively, coming from where the speakers live). In the rest of
the territory there are other varieties also, but there is not unanimity among
researchers, that’s why the names given to the dialects change often.


•FEATURES OF THE LANGUAGE

•The Embera phonologic system is quite complex: it has 12 vowels (6 oral and 6 nasal)
and 16 consonants –according to Aguirre (1999) – or 20 –according to Hoyos Benítez
(2000) and Cayo Atienza (2002). As far as the syllabic structure is concerned, the most
common are (C) V and (C) VC.
• With regard to its morphology, Embera shows neither genre nor number in the
noun phrase. With the animate nouns compounds including the word makira (masculine)
and wera (feminine) are used to mark sex, for example, chumakira (man) y chuwera
(woman) (Cayo Atienza, 2002). The verb and the pronoun, in contrast, do show number:
pakuru ntu bua / pakuru ntu pana (the tree is big / the trees are big).
• The case system in Embera seems to be rich, as it is common in agglutinative
languages. As it is an ergative language, the transitive and intransitive verbs are
distinguished by different marks: Ergative (-pa) and absolutive (-Ø).
• The verbal system displays great complexity due to the fact that person, number,
time, aspect, and mood are shown in the verb.
• An interesting feature is that the numeric system of the traditional culture has five
bases.


•GLOSSARY

•Note: As there isn’t a unified orthographic system for Embera yet, the examples given below look
much hispanicized but note should be taken that the phonological value of certain graphemes do not
correspond to the ones they have in Spanish or English. And some phonological features are not
indicated, for example, the nasal vowels. The examples are Cayo Atienza’s (2002).
•aba, ume, unbea, chimare, juatsoma, juakiraraba, juakiraraba audu aba, juakiraraba audu ume, …
•1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, …
•tsetse, papa, tsetsera, tsetsetsora, papachondra, chiuarra, chicau, biu, nanebau, nabekau, umrnbea,
chumakira, chuuera, chima, choronara, yamba, yambachondra, umenbea
•father, mother, parents, grandfather, grandmother, son, daughter, grandson/granddaughter, brother
(of a girl), sister (of a boy), sister (of a girl)/brother (of a boy), husband, wife, spouse, ancestors, uncle,
aunt, relative
•buru, küburu, dabu, chira, chirame, chirandarra, chida, chidakarra, itae, datru, kenbu, i, ikara, va,
kengu, so
•head, ear, eye, face, cheek, tongue, tooth, gum, mouth, forehead, nose, lip, beard, blood, vein, heart


•USEFUL LINKS
•http://www.todacolombia.com/etnias/gruposindigenas/embera.html
•http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emberá
•http://www.galeon.com/culturasamerica/Emberas.htm

•REFERENCES
•Aguirre, D. (1999). Embera. Licom Europa.
•Cayo Atienza, A. (2002). El idioma katío. Ensayo gramatical. Frankfurt and Main:
Iberoamericana – Vervuert.
•Hoyos Benítez, M. E. (2000) Informe sobre la lengua embera del río Napipí. In González
de Pérez, M.S. & Rodríguez de Montes, M.L. (eds.) Lenguas Indígenas de Colombia.
Santafé de Bogota: Instituto Caro y Cuervo, 73-79.
•Landaburu, J. (2007). Kolonbian egun hitz egiten diren hizkuntzak. In Uranga, B.,
Barreña, A., Idiazabal, I., Amorrortu, E., Ortega, A. & Izagirre, E. (eds.) Amerikako
hizkuntza-aniztasuna, Mexikotik Hego Konoraino - La diversidad lingüística en América,
de México al Cono Sur. Donostia: Erein, 35-37.
•Moreno Cabrera, J.C. (2003). El universo de las lenguas. Madrid: Castalia.
•Romero Loaiza, F. (2002). La oralidad y la escritura entre los embera-chami: aspectos
educativos.
•Vasco, L.G. (1985). Jaibanás, los verdaderos hombres. Bogotá: Banco Popular.


Revitalization Project of Embera language of
Chocó, Colombia (2011-2013)
FUCLA (Fundación Universitaria Claretiana) from Quibdó
(Chocó, Colombia) asked the Chair to advice the embera
communities to help them to get a written standard and to
create pedagogical material to make posible the use of
their own language in the school.
Main local indigenous organisations also agreed on
supporting this project.
Communities’ determination to preserve and use their own
language is the main condition for its revitalisation.


Revitalization Project of Embera language of
Chocó, Colombia (2011-2013)

Work in progress:
-Basic lexical gathering of the Embera from the Chocó
- A basic dictionary to be published soon.
- Colourful Posters with a selection of terminology, to be
used in schools
- Teachers’ training in bi/multilingual education


•PEN CLUB 10 COMMANDMENTS (2011)

•1. Linguistic diversity is a world heritage that must be valued and protected.
•2. Respect for all languages and cultures is fundamental to the process of constructing and
maintaining dialogue and peace in the world.
•3. All individuals learn to speak in the heart of a community that gives them life, language, culture and
identity.
•4. Different languages and different ways of speaking are not only means of communication; they are
also the milieu in which humans grow and cultures are built.
•5. Every linguistic community has the right for its language to be used as an official language in its
territory.
•6. School instruction must contribute to the prestige of the language spoken by the linguistic
community of the territory.
•7. It is desirable for citizens to have a general knowledge of various languages, because it favours
empathy and intellectual openness, and contributes to a deeper knowledge of one's own tongue.
•8. The translation of texts, especially the great works of various cultures, represents a very important
element in the necessary process of greater understanding and respect among human beings.
•9. The media is a privileged loudspeaker for making linguistic diversity work and for competently and
rigorously increasing its prestige.
•10. The right to use and protect one's own language must be recognized by the United Nations as
one of the fundamental human rights.


References

•- MARTÍ F., ORTEGA, P. IDIAZABAL I., BARREÑA, A., JUARISTI, P., JUNYENT, C., URANGA, B. & AMORRORTU,
E. (Ed.) (2005). Words and Worlds. World Language Review: Clevedon U.K.: Multilingual Matters
•- BARREÑA, URANGA, B., IDIAZABAL I., AMORRORTU, E. & ORTEGA, A. (2005) Europako Hizkuntzak, Bilbao:
UNESCO ETXEA, AMARAUNA
•URANGA, B., BARREÑA, A., IDIAZABAL, I., AMORRORTU, E., ORTEGA, A. &. IZAGIRRE, E. (2007) Amerikako
hizkuntza aniztasuna. Mexikotik Hego Konoraino. La diversidad lingüística en América. De México al Cono Sur,
Donostia: Erein
-- URANGA, B., AIERDI, X., IDIAZABAL, I., AMORRORTU, E., BARREÑA, A., ORTEGA, A. &. IZAGIRRE, E. (2008)
Hizkuntzak eta immigrazioa.Lenguas e inmigración. Bilbao: Ikuspegi-Amarauna UNESCO Etxea
•- AMORRORTU, E., ORTEGA, A. IDIAZABAL, I. & BARREÑA, A., (2009) Actitudes y prejuicios de los no
vascohablantes hacia del euskera, Bilbao: Eusko Jaurlaritza/Gobierno Vasco.
•- AMORRORTU, E., ORTEGA, A. IDIAZABAL, I. & BARREÑA, A., (2009) Erdaldunen euskararekiko aurreiritziak eta
jarrerak. Bilbao: Eusko Jaurlaritza/Gobierno Vasco.
•http://www.unesco-hizkuntza-katedra.ehu.es,
•http://www.unescoetxea.org/
•http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas
•http://www.gela.cat/doku
•http://www10.gencat.cat/casa_llengues
•http://www.ogmios.org/
•www.amarauna-languages.com


Milesker!
¡Muchas Gracias!
Danke!
Thank you!
Merci Beaucoup!

Itziar.idiazabal@ehu.es
www.unesco-hizkuntza-katedra.ehu.es

Itziar Idiazabal
University of the Basque Country
Itziar.idiazabal@ehu.es
www.unesco-hizkuntza.katedra.ehu.es

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