The research is based on studies of H. Schiffman (1996) who proposes to explain linguistic attitudes of speakers in a broader context that he calls ‘linguistic culture’. One of the main issues of linguistic cultures is an interaction between standard and nonstandard varieties. J. Milroy (2001) in particular claims that some dominant languages with long literary traditions had developed specific attitudes, for instance, they consider the standard language as the only legitimate language variety. He calls these language societies ‘standard language cultures’.
In the study, I claim that dominant Russian language represents a typical standard language culture. Modern language concepts about Permian languages (Udmurt and Komi), two minority languages spoken in the Russian Federation, emerged within the Russian linguistic culture, and thus some language attitudes were transmitted from the Russian speakers to the Permian speakers (Edygarova 2016). For example, in the social discourse of the Permian people, the same way as in Russian, it is typical to accept only one “right” norm (the pure standard form) and underestimate other forms (dialect forms, forms mixed with Russian). However, in the reality Permian and Russian languages have a different linguistic situation and different needs: while the use of the Russian standard language is spread very wide, most of the Permian speakers do not have the command of the standard language and this variety remain as an artificial language. Dialects remain as an alive variety and they are transmitted as a mother tongue in families. Furthermore, almost all Udmurt and Komi speakers are bilingual, and mixed language use is natural for these communities. The transfer of language attitudes of dominant language communities onto minority communities, which have a different sociolinguistic situation and different needs, may bring to the extinction of minority languages.
Edygarova, S. (2016) Standard Language Ideology and Minority Languages: The Case of the Permian Languages. In Linguistic Genocide or Superdiversity? New and Old Language Diversities. Bristol – Buffalo – Toronto, 299-351
Milroy, J. (2001) Language ideologies and the consequences of standardization. Journal of sociolinguistics 5(4), 530-555.
Schiffman, H. (1996) Linguistic Culture and Language Policy. New York: Routledge.
