Language island

A language island is an exclave of a language that is surrounded by one or more different languages.[1]

Not to be confused with language isolate.

Examples of language islands:

  • The predominantly French-speaking enclave of Brussels showed as slashed grey and red surrounded by a Dutch-speaking grey area
  • Language islands in Romania
  • Sorbian language area in Germany

See also

References
  1. Peter Auer, Frans Hinskens, Paul Kerswill. Dialect change: convergence and divergence in European languages. str. 221. "The term 'Sprachinsel' was used for the first time in 1847 to designate a Slavonic community surrounded by a German-speaking population close to Konigsberg, East Prussia cf. Mattheier 1996. 812"
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