Geography and linguistics

It has not been very common, especially in the past to combine geography and linguistics. However, languages evolve and change in space and place. Space can become place through the language. I would assume that they are widely interconnected. In this research especially, it is quite obvious to see the relation. Mostly, similar research is made by linguists, and often the definitions of geographical concepts remain quite thin. The term linguistic landscape may be taken for granted without thinking about what landscape is. When we are discussing landscape, we are in the core of geographical research. This is, however, quite easy to explain. Often, those who study geography may not be so interested in linguistics and viceversa, even though often research in both disciplines are interested in other countries and cultures.

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However, language and geography are often interconnected. Good examples of research which combines these two are, for instance, the research on place-naming and on linguistic landscape. Also, when we move from the traditional understanding of the landscape as something related to nature towards the wider understanding of the landscape, for example in our cities which includes various texts.

Discussion on the relation of language and geography is at least indirectly part of many issues such as language policy. Multilingualism and endangered languages. It is important to keep in mind that many world languages are spoken by very few people, and many speakers may live in some very remote areas.

For instance, the largest country in the world Russia has many small languages² Especially language geography is interested in these issues. Human geography is taught in many universities, but also here, the relation between language and geography may not be assessed. We can find an important relation between the mobility in the earliest times and the development of various individual languages. For instance, the evolution of Semitic languages is linked to the specific region, which is, in this case, the Middle East³

Barbara Johnstone has made an important contribution to the study of language and place. In linguistics, and especially sociolinguistics place has played an important role. Different places, such as nation, region, country, city, or even the own neighbourhood have been studied when linguistic variations have been at the core of the research, Especially in recent years, place has become a core concept in sociolinguistics, for example in the studies of place identity or in studies how “physical environment may influence on patterns of variation and change by shaping speakers social environments” (Johnstone 2011, 204). Johnstone points out that “linguistic difference, the topic of sociolinguistics, is not just a result of a physical distance as we once imagined. Rather, language is linked with a place, or not, through ideas about what language, languages, varieties, and places mean, and these ideas are reproduced and circulated in talk and taken up in individuals’ experience of the linguistic landscapes they encounter”.

(Johnstone 2011, 204).

2https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/issues_geography.html

3 http://www.geographynotes.com/human-geography/language-and-its-influence-on-human-geography/1002

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Jani Vuolteenaho et. al (2012) have discussed the linguistic turn in urban research. This means to analyze socio-cultural phenomena as linguistic constructions. The examples of the linguistic turn on research are for instance the branding and the promotion of the cities, the roles of narratives, street signs, different kind of texts in a city. In structuralist and post-structuralist theories every kind of representational system was considered to be related to language ( Vuolteenaho et al. 2012). Although the main focus of this paper in on the written texts, one should not undermine the role of the spoken language and the negotiations on identity and otherness.

People usually pay little attention to the texts in the urban space. Also one may not think how many different texts for the different purposes there can be. Often there are rules what can be written and where.

Graffiti is a good example of well visible texts in the urban landscape. Sometimes writing graffiti is strictly forbidden and considered vandalism which may lead to major troubles while sometimes graffiti may even be appreciated by the decisionmakers, and the artist may even be paid for it. Some cities like Berlin are well-known for its graffiti/wall murals. In Finland, they have been traditionally seen in quite negative way. However, in recent years this has changed, and in some contexts, graffitis are appreciated

4. Before habitants in Finland could see major wall murals mostly during the trips in cities like Berlin or Lyon. Nowadays, it is possible to see houses with walls decorated with graffitis in places like Turku, Tampere and Joensuu. Graffitis indeed have an impact on the urban landscape. Also, regarding to the linguistic landscape graffiti may have an interest, depending on the definition of the linguistic landscape.

And what about graffiti as part of linguistic landscape. For some researchers, graffitis are very relevant and important while for others this may not be the case.

What kind of texts can be interesting from the point of view of the researcher? This is quite a challenging question, but as a starting point, all kinds of texts have, in my opinion, some kind of interest. Of course, for instance, if we think of the political writings in the urban landscape it is possible that someone wants to express his/her political opinion and is able to do so and giving much visibility on the urban space.

This may, however, be an opinion that is not generally divided. Sometimes, there are debates for instance of political opinions or symbols in one’s home, but visible outside.

4 https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10166252