Latgalian in Latvia: how a minority language community gains voice during societal negotiations about the status of two major languages
This paper discusses how the regional language of Latgalian in Latvia has benefitted from societal discourse on the antagonism between speakers of Latvian and Russian in Latvia. Triggered by the 2012 referendum on Russian as a possible second state...
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This paper discusses how the regional language of Latgalian in Latvia has benefitted from societal discourse on the antagonism between speakers of Latvian and Russian in Latvia. Triggered by the 2012 referendum on Russian as a possible second state language of Latvia, Latvian politics (exemplified by politicians' statements since 2012 as well as by 2014 election manifestoes) as well as society at large (displayed by e.g. increased attention in the educational sector and the media) have started to devote considerably more attention to the region of Latgale, including its cultural and linguistic heritage. The paper thereby argues that speakers of Latgalian have gained a noteworthy increase in voice, even though the future of the variety is still considered to be uncertain.
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