“The Irish language movement” by Francis Fahy and Ukrainian sociolinguistics at the beginning of the twentieth century

Svitlana Bohdan
Ph.D. of Philology, Professor,  Head of the Department of History and Culture of the Ukrainian Language of Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University
13 Volya Ave., Lutsk 43025, Ukraine
Е-mail: bohdan-s@ukr.net

Heading: Researches
Language: Ukrainian

Abstract: The article deals with linguists’ opinions about the period of Ukrainian sociolinguistics’ creation. The most widespread of the opinions was reflected on the 60 s of the twentieth century. L. Masenko keeps another point of view, insisting on the fact that the creation of sociolinguistics is relevant to the period of proclamation of independent Ukraine in the 90 s. The hypothesis about the presumable circumstances for the formation of Ukrainian sociolinguistics was outlined at the beginning of the 20th century based on the translation of Francis Fahy’s work “The Irish language movement” by Lesia Ukrainka. It concerns the problems of the Irish language decline and the preconditions of its rebirth. One of the most significant and urgent facts in the processes of the revival of any oppressed language is its return to the oral speech of the people. The most important factors that prompted the appearance of Lesia Ukrainka’s translation, particularly extra-language ones: the national-language orientations in Kosach family, and the peculiarities of the linguistic situation in Ukraine at the beginning of the 20th century have been analyzed here. Most of the factors are similar to the historical realities in Ireland. The content domains of Francis Fahy’s work and their projection on linguistic realities and language problems in modern Ukraine have been described in detail; the emphasis is placed on the fact that the revival of each state begins primarily with the revival of the native language, as well as on the author’s statement on the mandatory distinction between the functions of the native and foreign languages ​​(in this case, the English language), distinguishing, first and foremost, such functions of the native language as national and state-owned, considering it the only language of professional self-realization of personality and the language of “soul and heart”, and the stranger – belongs to the maintenance of interstate economic relations. Remarkable features of the language of translation have been highlighted and the ones have been defined the specific features of a Ukrainian dictionary. The dictionary was not only simply archaized but often factitiously corrected during the XX-th century.

Keywords: sociolinguistics, translation, Irish language, native language, Ukrainian language.

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