Key research themes
1. How does internal linguistic development and external contact shape phonological change and stability in Occitan dialects?
This theme explores the interplay between intrinsic phonological processes and external language contact influences in shaping the evolution, retention, or loss of specific phonemes and phonetic features within Occitan dialects. Understanding these dynamics reveals how dialects resist or adapt to contact-induced change, providing insights into language maintenance and change mechanisms in minority Romance languages.
2. What are the sociolinguistic and revitalization challenges for Occitan within its sociopolitical and ideological contexts?
This theme addresses the sociolinguistic situation of Occitan, its historical marginalization, ongoing language revitalization efforts, and the conflicting ontologies of language held by traditional speakers versus revivalist movements. It also contextualizes Occitan's status against broader minority language dynamics, including the impact of social movements, diglossic ideologies, and policy approaches on language maintenance.
3. How does medieval Occitan syntax and textual culture inform our understanding of Romance language typology and vernacular Latinization?
This theme investigates syntactic structures, specifically Verb Second (V2) phenomena in Old Occitan, and the ways in which Occitan vernacular texts like Lo codi exemplify ‘covert Latinization.’ Research in this area connects medieval textual evidence with broader typological frameworks, illuminating the linguistic evolution of Romance languages and the sociocultural transformations underlying medieval vernacular textuality.