Project

Contact-induced Change and Attrition: The Linguistic Impact of Russian

Program

ACLS Fellowship Program

Department

Slavic Languages and Literatures and Linguistics

Abstract

This project examines the impact of Russian on indigenous languages of Eurasia which are undergoing shift and loss. It brings together the fields of contact linguistics and endangered languages, examining the kinds of linguistic changes that happen when a language is replaced by another. As a result of Russian expansion and Soviet language policies, a large number of Eurasian indigenous languages are under threat of extinction, providing a relatively unique opportunity to analyze linguistic change in process across a range of different languages, all being effected by Russian.