Revivalistics

From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond

Bibliographic Data

ID19974705
AuthorsGhil’ad Zuckermann (0000-0002-7986-9774, corresponding author), Ghil'ad Zuckermann (Professor of Linguistics and Endangered Languages, University of Adelaide)
Year2020
Pages352
Publication date2020-05-15
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueRevivalistics (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherOxford University PressNew York (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/oso/9780199812776.001.0001
OpenAlexW3036872534
Open LibraryOL28002216M
ISBN9780199812776
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited33

This seminal book introduces revivalistics, a new trans-disciplinary field of enquiry surrounding language reclamation, revitalization and reinvigoration. The book is divided into two main parts that represent Zuckermann’s fascinating and multifaceted journey into language revival, from the ‘Promised Land’ (Israel) to the ‘Lucky Country’ (Australia) and beyond: PART 1: LANGUAGE REVIVAL AND CROSS-FERTILIZATION The aim of this part is to suggest that due to the ubiquitous multiple causation, the reclamation of a no-longer spoken language is unlikely without cross-fertilization from the revivalists’ mother tongue(s). Thus, one should expect revival efforts to result in a language with a hybridic genetic and typological character. The book highlights salient morphological, phonological, phonetic, syntactic, semantic and lexical features, illustrating the difficulty in determining a single source for the grammar of ‘Israeli’, the language resulting from the Hebrew revival. The European impact in these features is apparent inter alia in structure, semantics or productivity. PART 2: LANGUAGE REVIVAL AND WELLBEING The book then applies practical lessons (rather than clichés) from the critical analysis of the Hebrew reclamation to other revival movements globally, and goes on to describe the why and how of language revival. The how includes practical, nitty-gritty methods for reclaiming ‘sleeping beauties’ such as the Barngarla Aboriginal language of Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, e.g. using what Zuckermann calls talknology (talk+technology). The why includes ethical, aesthetic, and utilitarian reasons such as improving wellbeing and mental health

Archaeology · Geography · Land reclamation · Political science · Sociology · History · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Multilingual Education and Policy · Aboriginal Australians · Barngarla language · Case studies · Hebrew language · Language revival · Languages · Revival