Matukar-Panau: A Case Study in Language Revitalization

Date
2011
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
Type
Thesis (B.A.)
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
en_US
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
This case study in language revitalization focuses on the Oceanic language of Matukar-Panau from Papua New Guinea. Recent work on a talking dictionary of Matukar in Swarthmore College‘s Laboratory for Endangered Languages Research and Documentation as well as the development of an orthography and first book in Matukar will be evaluated in terms of the viability of Matukar in the 21st century. I will first present the sociolinguistic background of Matukar in order to examine the extent and cause of Matukar‘s endangerment. Categories will include the history, geography, government recognition of, and demography of, Matukar and Matukar villagers (Tsunoda 2005). An emphasis will be placed on the reaction of the ethnic group of Matukar villagers to the growing dominance of Tok Pisin and the corresponding language shift (Dorian 1981). Next, I will examine the language endangerment phenomenon and define language death. In order to classify Matukar on a scale of language endangerment, I will describe Michael Krauss‘s (2007) and Joshua Fishman‘s (1991) classification systems of language vitality. I will then present Matukar‘s ratings based on UNESCO‘s document on language vitality and endangerment (2003). These systems provide a quantitative way to identify the characteristics of a dying language in areas such as age of speaker population, domains of language use, and availability of written material. Following this assessment of the endangerment of Matukar, I will then argue for revitalization from both a linguistic and an extralinguistic point of view. I will first use lexical, phonetic, and phonological data to show Matukar‘s linguistic importance. From an extralinguistic point of view, I will identify domains of extralinguistic knowledge encoded in the linguistic framework (Harrison 2007). The traditional knowledge base such as multiple words relating to coconut use and canoe construction will be highlighted, as well as a link between language revitalization and preservation of Matukar culture and identity. After establishing the importance of Matukar revitalization, I will evaluate the current Matukar revitalization process. I will include a description of the recently invented orthography and newly written book in Matukar (Raward 2010), as well as the online talking dictionary project currently containing approximately 3,000 words and phrases of the Matukar lexicon. This evaluation will also introduce the need for language planning and propose ideas for continued support of the Matukar community (Hinton 2001). My case study of Matukar revitalization efforts is described with advocates for language revitalization and members of endangered language populations in mind. It is hoped that this evaluation will be of use to future revitalization efforts in the Matukar community.
Description
Subjects
Citation
Collections