The impact of geofactors on the formation of language islands and minority languages: The case of Cimbrian, Ladinian and Sardinian

Abstract

This contribution aims to highlight the geofactors which determine the development and continuity of language islands and the territories of minority languages. The focus of this research is therefore primarily on the geomorphological conditions of a specific language area and the interaction of natural factors, such as landform configuration, quality of soil and climate, with sociological and political factors. This approach will offer a new perspective on the genesis of these specific speech areas by taking into consideration the geographical conditions from the beginning of the first settlements through the history of further language propagation and language contact. The case studies chosen to substantiate this theory are the Cimbrian community and the Ladin-speaking valleys in the Alps (Northern Italy) as well as different minority languages spoken in Sardinia, where hilly landscapes alternate with plains, both bordered by the sea. All these languages became minority languages in remote areas, though the determining factors, geographical as well as socio-linguistic, were quite different.