The Buryat language is a branch of the Mongolic language, and is considered by many to be a dialect of Mongolian. With the Buryats being the largest subsidiary of the Mongolian people, their dialect is the second most prominent language in the Mongol and Inner Mongolian areas. It is estimated that there is a population of over 400,000, mainly concentrated by the northern border of Mongolia, which speak the Buryat language. Among this population, there are several different dialects which incorporate Russian, Chinese, and Turkic influences. These sublanguages are often based on their geographical location in comparison to neighboring cultures. Although there is still a definitive distinction between the Russian and Buryat language, modernization and cultural assimilation are causing a decline in both their language and identity. Being so close to the border of Russia, Buryats not only have a heavy Russian influence in their dialect, but also are encouraged to adopt the Russian language as it is more useful in everyday life. Even parents that grew up speaking Buryat will communicate to their children in Russian for these reasons. Also, being a minority in both language and culture inhibits the Buryat people from expressing and expanding their cultural identity. These problems influence laws and policymakers’ decisions which further reduce the Buryat language. Surprisingly, there are laws in place that state, “Names of all settlements, streets and squares must be written in Russian and Buryat” (Khilkhanova). These laws, however, are usually either overlooked or just completely ignored. Modernization has also heavily affected the Buryat language. By incorporating Western ideals to their previous nomadic way of life, the Buryats have skipped over crucial developmental stages for their language to become a polyfunctional language that serves all the communicational formats of a modern society.
In the
modern era, many cultures assimilate into each other, usually for the
betterment of both societies, but that is not always the case. The United
States, for instance, is a melting pot for all different types of cultures,
where, for the most part, cultural identities are protected and naturally assimilated.
In this situation, assimilation is healthy and somewhat necessary for society
to grow. Modern societies, however, can and have stepped over the line when it
comes to cultural assimilation. Eastern cultures think that because they are
doing well as a civilization that they need to impede their way of life on indigenous
peoples. The Buryats in Mongolian and Russian territories are currently going
through this type of situation, specifically with their language. Often times,
these situations go unnoticed due to either the lack or realization of what is
happening or lack of communication between the two cultures. Language is an immense
part of who you are in society, as it is the chief form of expression between
two people or groups. By incorporating the Russian language into the Buryat
language, they are not only beginning to lose a language, but also the history
and essence of the culture.
Erzhen Khilkhanova
2004 Language and
Ethnic Identity of Minorities in Post-Soviet Russia: The Buryat Case Study.
Journal of Language, Identity, and Education 3(2):85-100.
Dear Patrick,
ReplyDeletePlease add your reflection, and refs to get at least partial credit for this exercise. Thanks. Do feel free to delete this comment after you read it. Thanks. The reflection should go here in the COMMENTS section to keep it uniform with the other folks in your group.
Refs need to be in the format specified; that's what I meant. This you can do for the final evaluation. Now do add your reflections and email me to double-check. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI my research I found it interesting that the Buryat language was still so prominent in today’s society despite efforts to assimilate the Buryat culture with Western ideals. However, even with a strong sense of community among the Buryat people, their efforts to keep their language alive are often thwarted due to the heavy influence of the Russian language. I think it is great to experience and learn about new culture, but I also believe while doing that it is more than necessary to preserve the customs and ideals of your own culture. By forcing the Buryats to assimilate before they are ready, I believe it will alter their views and cause them to lose important aspects of their culture.
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