Rusinskij jazyk -- sources

[Andriy Danylenko]

Dear Elaine,

Thank you for the last note.


In general terms, I am au fait with the latest achievement, including your book, in the field of Rusyn studies, although they are outside my research. I do know also the names you mentioned, including the late Myshanych who was one of the staunch opponents of this movement. (which is far less popular in Ukraine).

I am not a specialist in this problem. Among those things, which I do is linguistics, mostly Slavo-Baltic problematics. In this respect, what is disconcerting is that NO ONE of the above mentioned is a true linguist who might have produced something like Shevelov’s Historical Phonology of the Ukrainian language, or Wexler’s Historical Phonology of the Belorussian Language. The debates are largely based on extralinguistic premises, or sociolinguistic criteria, which are not supported by substantial LINGUISTIC studies.

Literary languages is something artificially created, although to be sure some real phenomena are accounted for (e.g., jazychije in Galicia, or Ukrainian standard based on modern dialects).

Once linguistic (not even socioliguistic) arguments are compelling (Cassubian?) we can proceed with a “new Slavic language”. Paul Wexler has already had experience in the late 1990s with another new Slavic language.

Shchyro Vash,
Andriy


-- Elaine Rusinko <rusinko at UMBC.EDU> wrote:
At 05:49 PM 6/21/2004 +0000, you wrote:
>It would be also instructive to provide some references of the opponents
>(reviews, articles, etc.) published not only under the auspices of the
>Carpstho-Rusyn Center, Rusynaska obroda, or edited by Prof. Magocsi, but
>also in Ukrainen (!) or at least by some independent publishers.
>
>As for the Sagner publication, it sounds interesting. Thank you for the
>info. The rest is, unfortunately, not that much persvuasive from different
>points of view.
>
>Andriy Danylenko
>adanylenko at pace.edu


Dear Andriy,

In Of the Making of Nationalities There Is No End (Vol. 2, pp. 39-65),
Magocsi includes criticism by Vasyl Markus of his (Magocsi's) 1978 book,
The Shaping of a National Identity: Subcarpathian Rus' 1848-1948. Included
also is the ensuing polemic, in which several Ukrainians participated (pp.
66-112). This wide-ranging discussion touches on language, among other
questions.

You might also be interested in The Persistence of National Cultures:
Rusyns and Ukrainians in their Carpathian Homeland and Abroad, edited by
Magocsi, which includes articles by Oleksa Myshanych (member of Ukrainian
Academy of Sciences) and Mykola Mushynka (Head, Research Center for
Ukrainian Studies at Presov University), the two most outspoken critics of
Rusyn. I'm sure you would find any of their work interesting.

Perhaps you can direct me to some Ukrainian references that include the
Rusyn point of view.

Elaine


Elaine Rusinko
Associate Professor of Russian
Department of Modern Languages
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD 21250

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------