Karelian Language in Periodical Press: Dynamics of Functioning as a Reflection of Shifts in Language Ideology and Policy in 20th–21st Centuries

This article examines the impact of language ideology on the functional capacity of a minority language. We present a study investigating the dynamics of Karelian language use in the periodical press against the backdrop of evolving language ideologies throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The research is based on an extensive analysis of statistical data from official sources, including the number of periodicals and their annual circulation figures in the Karelian language. The study also draws on historical evidence, legal documents, public statements by political figures, and other relevant texts. Our findings identify a complex of factors that have historically impeded the development and functional use of Karelian, particularly in the domain of periodical publishing. These factors include a repeatedly interrupted written tradition, significant dialectal fragmentation, inconsistent language ideology regarding the establishment of a unified standard for Karelian, frequent shifts in the political paradigm concerning the status of Karelian and its relationship with the Finnish language during the period under review, and legislative barriers — such as those related to the use of the Latin script — that precluded its attainment of official state language status. A novel aspect of this research is the application of an original metric, the “Periodical Press Index,” for the analysis of the statistical data.

diachronic sociolinguistics, language ideology, language situation, communicative domains, periodical press, the Karelian language, Republic of Karelia