PublicationsDyllanjow
Where publications are paywalled, I‘ve included links to open-access accepted manuscripts on the QUB research repository where possible.
Res ew pe rag gweles nebes a’n dyllanjow obma. My a wrug gorra kolmow troha versyon rydh ort an wiasva QUB ewedh.
Monograph
Lever
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2024). Breton in contemporary media: Speakers, language, community. De Gruyter.
AbstractBerrscrif
This monograph investigates questions around new speakers of Breton, their identities, attitudes, and motivations, and how these intersect with linguistic practices. Investigating post-traditional contexts, it uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to probe stereotypes around the language and speakers encountered in these settings. Focusing on the lexis in a sample of Breton gathered from radio, online, and print media sources, and on interviews carried out with professional users of Breton, this work illustrates the wide range of backgrounds and practices within the contemporary Breton language community and shows how speakers use Breton to position themselves within this diverse setting.
Articles
Artiklow
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2022). Breton-language media: Opportunities and challenges. Linguistic Minorities in Europe Online. DOI: 10.1515/lme.16122696.
AbstractBerrscrif
This article presents findings from a number of interviews carried out with Breton-language professionals regarding their consumption of and participation in media in both Breton and French. The issues raised highlight some of the advantages that media in minoritized languages can offer, as well as the issues they may need to overcome in order to reach wider audiences. In particular, the role of the media is examined with regard to the supposed dichotomy between new and traditional speakers of Breton, showing that aspects related to identity and language activism may be relevant to the former category, but at the same time noting that many speakers may not fit neatly into one category or the other, and that the media can offer a space where these different sections of the community may communicate across the apparent divide. The media can thus potentially function as a context where speakers are able to balance concerns of communication and identity.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2020). The orthography of revived Cornish as an attempt at pluricentricity. Language Problems and Language Planning 44(1), 66–86.
AbstractBerrscrif
After over twenty years of debate over Cornish orthographies, recognition by the UK government according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2003 led to the creation of what was initially intended as a “single written form” for use in official contexts. However, the inevitable impossibility of finding a compromise that pleased opposing groups of speakers with differing ideologies meant that the eventual Standard Written Form (SWF) was pluricentric, comprising two “main forms”. While these were initially stated to be of equal status, this has been hard to maintain since the SWF’s implementation: with more speakers using Middle Cornish forms, the Late Cornish forms are less visible and commonly believed to be subsidiary. Drawing on such perceptions, along with learning materials and other resources, this paper examines the status of the SWF today and offers some reflections on this unsuccessful attempt at pluricentricity in a minoritised language.
Woja ugens bledhen leun a dhysputys ’dro dhe fatel scrifa Kernowek, an tavas a wrug doas ha boas ajonys gen governans an Ruvaneth Unys en 2003 herwedh Chartour Europek rag Ethow Ranndiryel po Bian, ha letherednans sodhogel nowedh a veu gwres, creies et an dalla “udn furv scrifys”. Bes onpossybyl o hei dhe gawas udn furv a ell boas usyes gen tus ujy o senjy prederyow dihevel ’dro dhe beth ew Kernowek own. En sewyans, an Furv Scrifys Savonek (FSS) ew letherednans “liescrejek” (pluricentric): ma dhodho dew furv, leverys et an dalla dhe voas kehaval en-kever status. Calish o bettegens dhe ventena an stat ma: ma moy a dus o usya Kernowek Cres, ’della nag ew Kernowek Diwedhes mar es dhe weles, ha ma meur a dus nag ujy anjei o crejy ev dhe gawas an keth bri ’vel an furv aral. Ma an scrif ma o clappya ’dro dhe hebma, ha ma va o mires ort asnodhow a ujy o avonsya hag o tesky Kernowek, rag examnya status an FSS et an dedhyow ma; ma ev o profya ewedh nebes tybyanjow ’dro dhe Gernowek ’vel ensampel a davas bian liescrejek na wrug doas ha boas amyttyes.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2017). Names, varieties, and ideologies in revived Cornish. Studia Celtica Posnaniensia 2, 81–95.
AbstractBerrscrif
The attribution of names is a significant process that often highlights concerns over identity, ideology and ownership. Within the fields of minority languages and Celtic Studies, such concerns are especially pertinent given that the identities in question are frequently perceived as under threat from dominant cultures. The effect of concerns caused by this can be examined with reference to revived Cornish, which became divided into three major varieties in the later twentieth century; by examining the names of these varieties, we can draw conclusions about how they are perceived, or we are invited to perceive them. The motivations of those involved in the Cornish language revival are equally reflected in the names of the organisations and bodies they have formed, which equally contribute to the legitimation of revived Cornish. This paper examines both these categories of name, as well as the phenomenon of Kernowisation, a term coined by Harasta (2013) to refer to the adoption of Cornish personal names, and here extended to the use of Cornish names in otherwise English-language contexts. Examining the names that have been implemented during the Cornish language revival, and the ways in which they are used or indeed refused by those involved, gives us an insight into the various ideologies that steer the revival process. Within the context of the precarious nature of Cornish and Celtic identity, we can identify the concerns of those involved in the Cornish revival movement and highlight the role of naming as an activity of legitimation, showing how the diversity of names that occur reflects an equally diverse range of motivations and influences.
Book chapters
Radnow levrow
- Davies-Deacon, M. andha Sayers, D. (2024, in pressort an gwask). Cornish and Manx. InEn S. Fox (ed.pednscrifores). Language in Britain and Ireland (3rd edition3ja dyllans). Cambridge University Press, ppff. 357–369.
AbstractBerrscrif
This chapter provides a brief sociolinguistic description of two Celtic languages that have experienced language death and revival: Cornish and Manx. First, their distinctive sociolinguistic position as revived languages is reviewed. There follows a structured discussion of the factors contributing to each language’s historical decline and more recent revival movement, followed by an overview of the current position of each language in terms of demographics and language policy provisions. We note that while both languages are revived, differences in timescale have left speakers with different concerns regarding reconstruction as a spoken vernacular, although both Cornish and Manx are affected by similar debates around purism and authenticity. More broadly, we emphasise that the fate of both languages is inextricably linked with the wider political landscape, and that the efforts of volunteer activists at a grassroots level are currently paramount in ensuring their visibility, in a context where more official sources of support are often unreliable.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2024, in pressort an gwask). Breton dictionaries and contemporary corpus planning: Vocabulary and purism in the minoritised languages of France. InEn J. Carruthers, M. McLaughlin, andhag O. Walsh (eds.pednscriforejow). Historical and sociolinguistic approches to French. Oxford University Press.
AbstractBerrscrif
This chapter investigates issues around corpus planning for the minoritized languages of France, taking Breton as a case study. Much academic work has suggested that language planners and language activists favour a purist, neo-Celtic lexicon over the French borrowings found in the Breton of traditional speakers. This chapter investigates the validity of this claim with reference to two methods of enquiry: firstly, an investigation of the lexicon included in a number of dictionaries and terminology databases allows us to track any changes in attitudes towards neologisms and borrowings over time. Secondly, details from an interview with an employee of the state-sanctioned Breton language planning body allow us to understand more about the official corpus planning process for Breton and how language planners in the twenty-first century may take different approaches from their predecessors.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2024). Breton in the online context: A new speaker community? InEn B. Arendt andha G. Reershemius (eds.pednscriforejow). Heritage languages in the digital age: The case of autochthonous minority languages in western Europe. Multilingual Matters, ppff. 77–100.
AbstractBerrscrif
Breton is an AHL spoken in the region of Brittany in north-west France, which has seen a history of at times competing attempts at codification and lexicographic work. Discourse around new speakers of Breton has also been present in the literature for some time, with researchers emphasising the differences between the new and traditional speaker communities, which, it is claimed, extend to the form of language they use: traditional speakers are said to speak local dialectal forms of Breton and to borrow abundantly from French, the dominant language, while new speakers speak a standardised variety and often prefer the use of neologisms in efforts to maintain lexical purism.
Traditional speakers are said to form an aging, rural population, unwilling to speak Breton outside their own close social circles. Online communities where Breton is used thus offer an ideal context for investigating the practices of new speakers in particular, providing insights into the role that Breton plays in the construction of their identity as well as into the linguistic characteristics of their varieties.
This chapter considers the use of Breton in online contexts, focusing in particular on a Facebook group for Breton speakers. Examining the uses to which Breton is put and certain linguistic aspects of the varieties used, it interrogates the question of whether new speakers really do conform to the stereotypes presented about them and their language, showing that a wider range of practices is present than some previous research has implied. The implications for the ongoing standardisation of Breton and the role of online media in building new speaker communities will be considered, asking to what extent the use of AHLs in such contexts can be compared to their use in offline settings.
- Brookes, I., O’Neill, M., andha Davies-Deacon, M. (2021). An industry perspective: Dealing with language variation in Collins Dictionaries. InEn W. Ayres-Bennett andha J. Bellamy (eds.pednscriforyon). The Cambridge handbook of language standardisation. Cambridge University Press, ppff. 294–312.
AbstractBerrscrif
This chapter illustrates how some dictionaries published under the Collins imprint deal with aspects of language variation. It provides three case studies: the first looks at how dictionaries portray languages where multiple norms enjoy a similar level of prestige, using the example of Irish; the second looks at how a large monolingual dictionary of English acknowledges the existence of variation within the language; and the third investigates how variations in spelling, pronunciation and lexis are dealt with in two English dictionaries designed for learners of English. These case studies reveal how different target readerships can determine the treatment of language variation in different dictionaries. In the final sections of the chapter, the focus shifts to the impact of technology on the process of publishing dictionaries, showing how different considerations come into play when creating materials for online access and suggesting how this medium may eventually allow for a dictionary concept that reflects the full variety of language in use rather than being orientated towards a single prestigious standard variety.
Report
Derivas
- Sayers, D., Davies-Deacon, M., andha Croome, S. (2019). The Cornish language in education in the UK (2nd edition2sa dyllans). Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning.
Theses
Scrifow rag an PhD ha MA vy
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2020). New speaker language and identity: Practices and perceptions around Breton as a regional language of France. PhD thesis, Queen’s University BelfastScrif PhD, pednscol an Vyghternes, Béal Feirste.
AbstractBerrscrif
This thesis focuses on the lexicon of Breton, a minoritised Celtic language traditionally spoken in western Brittany, in north-west France. For the past thirty years, much work on Breton has highlighted various apparent differences between two groups of speakers, roughly equivalent to the categories of new speakers and traditional speakers that have emerged more universally in more recent work. In the case of Breton, the conceptualisation of these two categories entails a number of linguistic and non-linguistic stereotypes; one of the most salient concerns the lexicon, specifically issues around newer and more technical vocabulary. Traditional speakers are said to use French borrowings in such cases, influenced by the dominance of French in the wider environment, while new speakers are portrayed as eschewing these in favour of a “purer” form of Breton, which instead more closely reflects the language’s membership of the Celtic family, involving in particular the use of neologisms based on existing Breton roots. This thesis interrogates this stereotypical divide by focusing on the language of new speakers in particular, examining language used in the media, a context where new speakers are likely to be highly represented. The bulk of the analysis presented in this work refers to a corpus of Breton gathered from media sources, comprising radio broadcasts, social media and print publications. Insights are also provided from interviews that were carried out with employees of Breton-language media to gain additional information on speakers’ individual practices and beliefs and complement the linguistic data. The findings show that in these contexts, speakers often avoid some of the more extreme features associated with the new speaker stereotype, and that medium and register can be relevant factors in what sort of lexicon is used; also, notably, the traditional dialects of Breton to a certain extent serve as target varieties for many new speakers, showing that the two groups are not as separate from each other has some research has implied, and that the standard new speaker variety is not necessarily the most prestigious. New speakers, and others with new speaker characteristics, do not form a homogeneous community, but instead have diverse ways of speaking and engaging with Breton and the rest of its speaker population.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2016). Orthographies and ideologies in revived Cornish. MA by research thesis, University of YorkScrif MA, pednscol Evrok.
AbstractBerrscrif
While orthography development involves detailed linguistic work, it is particularly subject to non-linguistic influences, including beliefs relating to group identity, as well as political context and the level of available state support. This thesis investigates the development of orthographies for Cornish, a minority language spoken in the UK. Cornish is a revived language: while it is now used by several hundred people, it underwent language death in the early modern era, with the result that no one orthography ever came to take precedence naturally. During the revival, a number of orthographies have been created, following different principles. This thesis begins by giving an account of the development of these different orthographies, focusing on the context in which this took place and how contextual factors affected their implementation and reception. Following this, the situation of Cornish is compared to that of Breton, its closest linguistic neighbour and a minority language which has experienced revitalisation, and the creation of multiple orthographies, over the same period. Factors affecting both languages are identified, reinforcing the importance of certain contextual influences. After this, materials related to both languages, including language policy, examinations, and learning resources, are investigated in order to determine the extent to which they acknowledge the multiplicity of orthographies in Cornish and Breton. The results of this investigation indicate that while a certain orthography appears to have been established as a standard in the case of Breton, this cannot be said for Cornish, despite significant amounts of language planning work in this domain in recent years. The final chapter summarises the findings of the thesis, considers possible future developments for the status of revived Cornish orthographies, and affirms the relevance of this case to language planning for minority languages in general, emphasising the need to be aware of the importance of ideological factors of the kind highlighted throughout the thesis.
Review articles
Artiklow dro dhe whithrans aral
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2024). Breton and Cornish studies: Language, linguistics, and literature. The Year’s Work in Modern Language Studies 84, 411–415.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2023). Breton and Cornish studies: Language, linguistics, and literature. The Year’s Work in Modern Language Studies 83, 481–485.
- Davies-Deacon, M. (2022). Breton and Cornish studies: Language, linguistics, and literature. The Year’s Work in Modern Language Studies 82, 421–426.