Causes and Remedies of Language Endangerment: The Case of Zay
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Date
2020-02
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AAU
Abstract
This study was conducted with the purpose of looking into the causes and remedies of the endangered minority Zay language. With this end in view, mixed methods design was used in the study. In fact, the study is more of qualitative, and the quantitative method was used for triangulation purposes. Quantitative data was gathered using questionnaires. Participants who filled out the questionnaire were drawn from the island and mainland residents via quota-sampling technique. The qualitative data was collected by means of key informant interview, in-depth interview and FGDs. Apart from this, ethnically Oromo people were interviewed to find out their attitudes towards Zay language. In all cases, informants were selected through purposive sampling technique. Further, observation was conducted to confirm the soundness of data procured by the use of other qualitative tools. While the qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis, the quantitative one was dealt with using statistical techniques.
The study found out that both the external and internal factors accounted for the shortfall of mother tongue speakers of Zay, particularly in the younger generation. The Zay confronted a problem of making living in their traditional settlement areas, because of which a sizeable number of people left the islands for the nearby lakeshore villages and towns. The other was absence of willingness from part of the government to recognize Zay as a distinct ethnic group, as well as exclusion of the language from any secondary domains. Part of the people tended to develop low opinion of themselves and their language as a result. No less important were historical factors, such as recurrent conflict with the dominant Oromo people over land and water which was said to have pushed part of the Zay people, who already settled along the lake shores, back to the islands. This situation caused the introduction of late marriage (in order to control population boom) as the resources on the islands were limited. Cultural and linguistic factors were also found to contribute to the diminution of the language.
These external forces appeared to put pressure on the attitudes of the Zay and their language use behavior. There were people who developed low opinion of their ancestral language where, in some cases, the pride in being Zay seemed to be fading. In the same way, the finding emerged from the respondents of Oromo people revealed the presence of negative attitudes towards Zay language. However, the majority were still found to maintain their loyalty to their language. They regarded their distinctive language as a central part of their identity. When it comes to language use, almost all people on the islands of Lake Zway have still used the Zay language; in the rest of the areas where Zay people live, the shift to Afan Oromo has been progressing. The change in speech behavior, particularly on the mainland, resulted in structural consequences. That is, change in Zay‟s lexicon, phonology, morphology, and in rare case syntax is noticeable.
The results of the study show the presence of strong desire among the Zay to see their ethnic language reinvigorated. There was a strong belief among the respondents that changing the attitudes of the Zay and Oromo people who developed low impression of the language, improvement of the poor living standards of the people, establishment of Zay-medium primary school and creation of mother tongue based literacy education, above all, official recognition of Zay would be the possible restorative strategies.
A further major finding was that the Zay were waking up to the threat and gradually being more adamant in their demands for greater official recognition and support of their language. The Zay have been struggling for official ethnic recognition and political representation because they believed that achieving this opportunity could certainly pave the way for changes in their overall economic, political and social lives which would in turn lead to reinvigoration of their language. The Zay community also established a self-help association (ZDA) with the purpose of solving its economic and social problems, thereby protecting its language and culture.On the basis of the findings, the researcher recommended that community members as well as out-group members‟ threatening attitude should be changed since it is a cornerstone for the success of all actions. The regional government should ensure sedentary settlement on the islands through building the capacity of the people to achieve a self-sustaining economic unit. Mother tongue primary education and Zay Cultural Center should also be made available to the Zay if the language and culture are to survive into the next generation.
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Zay language