Language Consequences of Migration of Romani Speakers from Slovakia to Great Britain and Back:
Language Consequences of Migration of Romani Speakers from Slovakia to Great Britain and Back:

The Change of Paradigm of Town Names in Two Romani Dialects

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on language changes in Romani spoken by Slovak emigrants toEngland and re-emigrants to Slovakia or by people residing alternately in both thecountries as the case may be. The changes are monitored separately in two Romanigroups: the so called Slovak Roma (speakers of the Northern-Central dialect of Romani)and the Vlax Roma (speakers of the Slovak variety of the Lovari dialect). I address theway the language is influenced both by the changes of the environment and lifestyleand the changes of the contact language. I mostly focus on adult respondents whosecontact language has really changed during their life. I concentrate on one strikingand unexpected change: the change of the system according to which toponyms, spe -cifically town names, are created in Romani. First I submit the survey of the system inthe pre-emigration situation that has not been systematically published for either ofthe examined dialects. Further on I introduce the changes the described system hasgone through in both the dialects due to the influence of migration to Western Europeand I cautiously attempt to suggest interpretation of the examined phenomenon.

• Details
• Contents