Assessing the Endangerment Status of the Hamadani Dialect

This paper aims to assess the endangerment level of the Hamadani dialect, a variety of Persian spoken in the city of Hamedan in northwestern Iran, using the Language Endangerment Index of the Endangered Languages Project, as introduced by Lee and Van Way (2016). The index evaluates four factors: intergenerational transmission, absolute number of speakers, speaker number trends, and domains of use. To determine the numerical ratings for these factors, using a qualitative method we conducted semi-structured interviews with fourteen Hamadani speakers and complemented these with empirical observations. Our findings indicate that the Hamadani dialect falls into the “severely endangered” category. This status is largely driven by issues of linguistic prestige because younger speakers perceive the dialect as ‘‘lacking social status’’ and generally avoid using it, opting instead to replace it entirely with Standard Persian rather than maintaining it in parallel. Given the significant consequences of language and dialect loss, and the importance of preserving and promoting local linguistic varieties alongside the national and official language, the Hamadani dialect requires urgent attention.

 

Extended Abstract



Introduction



Over time, some languages are no longer acquired as a first language by children within a speech community and, as a result, gradually lose their speakers to the point that they are considered completely extinct and no longer used. Such languages are referred to as ‘‘endangered languages’’. The process of language extinction typically occurs in such a way that older members of a speech community continue to speak the endangered variety, while younger members move toward ‘‘language shift’’, that is, toward speaking languages with greater social power.

Linguistic diversity can be observed to varying degrees throughout the world. However, every human society composed of diverse speech communities requires a single language as a lingua franca and official language in order to maintain unity and enable communication. For example, in Iran, which is a treasure of languages and dialects, the strengthening and expansion of Persian as a lingua franca, a language of science, and the national and official language is undeniable; nevertheless, alongside this, the preservation and promotion of local languages are of great importance. These two processes are never in conflict with one another; rather, they are complementary and arise from the nature of human life.

Languages and dialects are considered intangible cultural heritage of human society, and their extinction entails irreparable consequences. On this basis, assessing the degree of endangerment of languages and dialects has several advantages that contribute to the preservation of local languages. For this reason, the present study assesses the level of endangerment of the Hamadani dialect. The Hamadani dialect is spoken in the city of Hamadan, located on the slopes of the Alvand mountain range, at an altitude of 1,877 meters above sea level, at approximately 35°14′ north latitude and 48°31′ east longitude. 



Theoretical Framework



Lee and Van Way (2016) elaborate on the Language Endangerment Index within the context of the Endangered Languages Project. They address the most important question ‘‘how should the level of language endangerment be assessed?’’ in relation to the implementation of an endangered languages catalogue. Accordingly, this project employs four factors to assess the degree of language endangerment: intergenerational transmission, absolute number of speakers, speaker number trends, and domains of use. Each of these four factors is measured on a scale from zero to five, with each value associated with a specific description. Based on these factors, a linguistic variety may be classified as ‘‘endangered’’ if:



Intergenerational Transmission: if a language is not being learned by children in the



traditional way, passed on from one generation to the next, it is likely doomed to extinction unless revitalization efforts prove successful. The greater the degree of intergenerational transmission, the more likely the language’s survival.



Absolute Number of Speakers: in very general terms, the fewer the number of speakers, the less likely the language’s long-term survival.

Speaker Number Trends: the more rapidly the number of speakers decreases, the more endangered the language is.

Domains of Use: the more the domains in which the language is used are reduced, the greater its endangerment becomes.



The method for calculating the degree of endangerment of a linguistic variety based on these factors is as follows:



Level of endangerment = {[(intergenerational transmission score x 2) + absolute number of speakers score + speaker number trends score + domains of use score]/total possible score based on number of factors used} x 100






Methodology



To determine the numerical value of each of these factors, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 speakers of the Hamadani dialect until theoretical saturation was reached. The average age of the interviewees was 44 years, and all were born in the city of Hamadan and reported the Hamadani dialect as their first language. However, the first language of younger individuals tends to be more closely aligned with Standard Persian, although their parents speak the Hamadani dialect. Efforts were made to select at least three participants from each generational group i.e., children, adults, and grandparents.

Since the author himself is a speaker of the dialect and a resident of the city of Hamadan, interviewees were selected through in-person contact, and prior background knowledge of the dialect greatly facilitated the conducting of the study and the analysis of the interview data. In the semi-structured interviews, based on the language endangerment assessment scales, the following questions were posed to the speakers regarding the Hamadani dialect:



Do all individuals such as young, children, and elderly in the city of Hamadan speak the Hamadani dialect?

What proportion of the community speaks the Hamadani dialect, and is this proportion increasing or decreasing?

In which situations such as the bazar, formal settings, schools, and others is Hamadani spoken?



In addition to the interviews, and drawing on personal experience with the Hamadani dialect, the author observed speakers’ linguistic behavior in various contexts within the Hamadani speech community in order to provide more precise assessments for each indicator. Furthermore, during the interviews, whenever participants indicated any degree of non-use of the Hamadani dialect, the following question was asked:



Why do individuals refrain from speaking the Hamadani dialect?





Results and Discussion



Using Formula (1), the degree of endangerment of the Hamadani dialect can be calculated as follows:

Degree of endangerment of the Hamadani dialect = (2 × 4) + 0 + 4 + 4 ÷ 25 × 100 = 64%

This value, 64%, indicates that within the stages of language extinction, the Hamadani dialect is classified as “severely endangered’’. The certainty level of this assessment is evaluated as 100%.

In the conducted interviews, participants stated that, in comparison with Standard Persian, the Hamadani dialect is perceived by the younger generation as a variety “lacking social prestige” and they believe that this linguistic variety no longer has practical power in any context except for limited use within the home. For this reason, the younger generation seeks the complete replacement of this variety with Standard Persian rather than its maintenance alongside Standard Persian. The key terms used by the younger generation to describe the Hamadani dialect include: “classless”, “low-level”, “ridiculous”, “useless”, “humorous”, and “the language of old people”.



Conclusions and Suggestions



Based on the findings of this study, the Hamadani dialect is classified as “severely endangered”. The factor that has restricted the use of this dialect and placed it in this state of extinction is ‘‘prestige’’, and consequently the tendency toward the standard language without regard for preserving the dialect alongside it. Therefore, the severe endangerment of the Hamadani dialect is a cultural issue rooted in speakers’ attitudes. As a result, the Hamadani dialect requires immediate attention. 

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