Research Article

The documentation of endangered languages: The case of Cankiri Poshas

Volume: 36 Number: 3 - Türkiye'de Tehlikedeki Diller Özel Sayısı (Konuk Editörler: Mehmet Akkuş, Çiğdem Sağın Şimşek) / Special Issue - Endangered Languages in Turkey (Guest Editors: Mehmet Akkuş, Çiğdem Sağın Şimşek) January 27, 2026
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The documentation of endangered languages: The case of Cankiri Poshas

Abstract

This paper examines the methods and techniques used in fieldwork for documenting endangered languages in Anatolia, taking the Çankırı variety of the Posha language as a case in point. The data for the study were collected from Çankırı Poshas between 2010 and 2015. As pointed out in previous studies, the Posha language, including its regional variants, is endangered. However, documenting a minority language poses difficulties depending on the functions of the language in the community and the attitudes of the speakers toward their language. Sharing and discussing these challenges can contribute to the design of more methodologically sound future research and assist in identifying potentially misleading elements in existing data. In this context, this study offers a practice-informed theoretical perspective on the methods and techniques used in the documentation and analysis of an endangered language through examples from the Posha language.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

112R021

Ethical Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study with the consent form approved by the Institutional Review Board in Social Sciences and Humanities and Arts at Baskent University (Ankara).

Thanks

The data reported in this paper were collected with the financial support by TUBITAK SOBAG 1002—Short Term R&D Funding Program (project number: 112R021).

References

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  2. Akgül, U. (2004). Poşalar: Buçuk milletin kayıp kültürü [The Posas: Hidden culture of half nation] [Master’s thesis, Hacettepe University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Anthropology].
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  6. Balabanian, G. (2024). A diachronic analysis of Western Armenian verbal morphology [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania].
  7. Benninghaus, R. (1991). Les Tsiganes de la Turquie Orientale. Etudes Tsiganes, 37, 47–60.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Language Documentation and Description , Linguistics (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

January 27, 2026

Submission Date

November 10, 2024

Acceptance Date

July 17, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Volume: 36 Number: 3 - Türkiye'de Tehlikedeki Diller Özel Sayısı (Konuk Editörler: Mehmet Akkuş, Çiğdem Sağın Şimşek) / Special Issue - Endangered Languages in Turkey (Guest Editors: Mehmet Akkuş, Çiğdem Sağın Şimşek)

APA
Üzüm, M., & Demir, N. (2026). The documentation of endangered languages: The case of Cankiri Poshas. Dilbilim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 36(3 - Türkiye’de Tehlikedeki Diller Özel Sayısı (Konuk Editörler: Mehmet Akkuş, Çiğdem Sağın Şimşek) / Special Issue - Endangered Languages in Turkey (Guest Editors: Mehmet Akkuş, Çiğdem Sağın Şimşek), 231-259. https://doi.org/10.18492/dad.1582653