The Uralic minorities

• Main Authors: Pasanen, Annika, Laakso, Johanna, Sarhimaa, Anneli
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: Oxford University PressOxford 2022
• Subjects: Norway; karelia*; karelian; meänkieli; saami
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198767664.003.0004; https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/47094416/oso-9780198767664-chapter-4.pdf

Abstract The chapter provides an up-to-date overview of Uralic minority languages in Russia, the European Union, and Norway. The focus is on the current state of Uralic minorities, and the main goal is twofold. Firstly, this chapter will shed some new light on the sociolinguistic and ethnolinguistic aspects of the severe endangerment and the imminent extinction that certain Uralic varieties face today. Secondly, this chapter will focus on successful revitalization measures, especially among the Aanaar Saami, as well as on the forms and achievements of ongoing empowering efforts. Of special interest here are minority languages whose status has until quite recently been contested by diverse political or even linguistic arguments, such as Karelian in Finland, Meänkieli in Sweden, and Kven in Norway.