Estonian Lotfitka Romani and its contact languages

Abstract

Abstract. Th e Estonian Lotfi tka dialect is a Romani dialect whose speakers have migrated from Latvia to Estonia. Th is article provides an overview of the recent and current contact languages of the Estonian Lotfi tka dialectLatvian, Russian and Estonian -and draws attention to some of the contact-induced language changes. To provide a comprehensive insight into the intensity and scope of borrowing I have applied Th omason and Kaufman's borrowing scale to categorize the contact languages. Th e relevant features behind the contact-induced changes that appear in Estonian Lotfi tka dialect are listed.

“Rebuilding Ties that Existed Long Ago”: Experiences of Finnish Roma During Missionary Work in Estonia

“…The level of identification, however, depends on the context. Some kinship lines have preserved their self-appellation according to their land of origin, whilst others have accepted an ethnonym related to their new country (Ross 2016). Linguistically, the Roma in Estonia can be divided into the Latvian Romani and the Russian Romani dialect groups, which belong to the northeastern subgroup of northern dialects, which are also found in neighbouring countries (Tenser and Granqvist 2015: 3-4).…”