Ethnolinguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the relationship between language, culture, and society. It is a relatively new field of study that combines elements of anthropology, linguistics, and sociology. Ethnolinguistics focuses on the relationship between language and culture, and how language is used within a social context. It is concerned with understanding how language is shaped by culture and vice versa.
The study of ethnolinguistics has a long and complex history, with roots in the work of anthropologists and linguists such as Franz Boas, Edward Sapir, and Leonard Bloomfield. Boas is credited with establishing the first scientific approach to the study of language and culture, now known as the Boasian approach. This approach emphasizes the importance of understanding the contextual and cultural aspects of language. Sapir and Bloomfield’s work focused on the development of a theory of language as a system of communication, which laid the groundwork for modern linguistics.
In the modern era, ethnolinguistics has become more focused on the use of language as a tool for social interaction. It is concerned with how language is used in a social context and how it affects the way people interact with each other. Additionally, ethnolinguistics looks at how language is used to express identity and how language can influence power structures.
In recent years, the field of ethnolinguistics has expanded to include the study of language and identity, language and power, language and technology, and language and globalization. It has also become increasingly important in the study of language maintenance and language revitalization efforts. Additionally, the field has become increasingly important for research into language contact and language change.
Overall, ethnolinguistics is an important field of study that has implications for many aspects of language, culture, and society. It is an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses elements of anthropology, linguistics, and sociology. As such, it is an invaluable tool for understanding the relationship between language, culture, and society.
References
Boas, F. (1911). The Mind of Primitive Man. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Sapir, E. (1921). Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace & World.
Bloomfield, L. (1933). Language. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Gardner-Chloros, P. (2015). Ethnolinguistics: The Study of Language and Culture. New York, NY: Routledge.
Hymes, D. (1972). Models of the Interaction of Language and Social Life. In J. J. Gumperz & D. Hymes (Eds.), Directions in Sociolinguistics: The Ethnography of Communication. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Kroskrity, P. V. (2000). Language, History, and Identity: Ethnolinguistic Studies of the Arizona Tewa. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press.
McLeod, B. (2019). Introduction to Ethnolinguistics. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-socanth/chapter/introduction-to-ethnolinguistics/