Minority language
Minority languages denote the independent languages used by ethnic or other minorities.
Basics
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of 5 November 1992, defines the term as used by a minority in one state language, which is different from the official language and is neither a dialect nor the language of immigrants is. The Charter does not distinguish between regional and minority languages , scientific, however, the former are often determined ethnic, the latter on the regional distribution. Often both criteria overlap but.
Threats
Minority languages have to compete against the majority language. They are often under pressure to acquire the majority language, which can often lead via the voice drift to language death. Since languages part of cultural values and identities are both of the individual speakers as well as entire communities of speakers, the language death leads to large losses. Especially the languages of less politically influential groups, such as indigenous peoples (see also List of endangered languages ) are threatened and in need of speech protection.
Examples
In Germany North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Danish, Sorbian, Romany and Wendish fall under the definition of a minority language. Regional language, for example, Low German, which is also recognized as a minority language since 1994 and is named after a part of the legal literature and case law throughout Germany in addition to standard German official language. A curiosity is the Plautdietsch language, as it is both a variety of Low German, but on the other hand, no regional language (see also Plautdietsch friends).
Among the minority languages does the sign language, which enjoys official status in Switzerland and Austria, a special position: it is not associated with any ethnic minority, but a group that falls under the state of disability. Nevertheless, but they form a separate population group with identity- linguistic tradition and culture.
Also a part of Esperanto speakers call their language group as a minority, as Esperanto has some characteristics of minority languages .