Cultural maintenance and language shift among the Gypsies of Jordan

Abstract

In this paper we examine the language situation among the Gypsies of Jordan within the framework of Lepage's model (1972, 1973) among other views on language maintenance and shift as proposed by (Fishman 1989; Dorian 2002, 1994 ; Kelman 1969, 1971). The study investigates language shift among the Gypsies of Jordan to permit comparison of the relative influences of various social parameters on their use of both Arabic and Gypsy. Here we analyze a corpus of data collected from 100 speakers by means of a questionnaire and interviews. Evidence is presented that Arabic is used in a variety of functions and domains, viz. home, neighborhood, religious and cultural settings. Language shift is attributed here to two main factors: first, their willingness to be incorporated into the major Arab Jordanian community; and second , avoiding stigma by using Arabic as a means of communication. However, it has been observed that the social and cultural isolation of the Gypsies from the Jordanian mainstream has contributed to cultural maintenance among them which also seems to be the by-product of "necessity" imposed on them by the major hosting community.