Terminology in genetic-linguistic studies as a political issue

The case of the South Slavic dialectal continuum

Bibliographic Data

ID20395273
AuthorsIgor Ivašković (0000-0002-3474-007X, University of Ljubljana, corresponding author)
Year2025
Publication date2025-10-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTerminology International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Issues in Specialized Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0929-9971 • E-ISSN: 1569-9994
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1075/term.25006.iva
OpenAlexW4415102485
LanguageEN
References cited13

The recent version of the Slovenian Linguistic Atlas (SLA) classifies a significant number of speech varieties from the Republic of Croatia as part of the Slovenian language using genetic-linguistic criteria. A critical analysis of the conceptual framework and criteria employed in the SLA reveals that the project incorporates terminology from other scientific disciplines into the field of genetic linguistics, often without consistently adhering the original definitions and conceptual boundaries of those terms. When speech varieties are labelled with terms carrying sociolinguistic connotations, their analysis must be guided by sociolinguistic criteria. Conversely, if classification is based exclusively on genetic-linguistic criteria, new terminology specific to genetic linguistics should be developed to avoid confusion with established meanings in other disciplines. This paper highlights the potential for arbitrariness in genetic-linguistic studies and suggests safeguards to ensure methodological rigor in future research

Arbitrariness · Categorization · Confusion · Politics · Terminology · linguistics and terminology studies

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