Kyn og málsligur hugburður til føroyska dag- liga talaða frábrigdið – nakrar ábendingar / Gender and linguistic attitudes toward variations in conventional Faroese language usage – some trends

Abstract

Úrtak: Greinin er skrivað við tí í hyggju at geva eitt íkast í samfelagsmálfrøðiliga orðaskiftið um málsligar munir millum kynini í vali av føroyskum málbúna. Serstakliga havi eg hildið tað vera áhugavert at lýsa málið við at hyggja at øðrum málsamfeløgum, sum eru í eini støðu, ið líkist føroysku málstøðuni, t.e. at dagliga talaða frábrigdið liggur langt frá standardfrábrigdinum, so at tað helst ber til at tosa um stig av skiftismæli. Umframt hetta serliga fyribrigdið er eisini tikið upp í myndina, at málbrúkarar í Føroyum eins og í samfeløgunum, ið líkjast, heilt tíðliga fara undir at læra hjálandamálið sum eitt neyðugt amboð fyri seinni at kunna lesa á hægri støði.

Av tí, at føroyska samfelagið ikki hevur havt sosiobúskaparliga stættaskipan í sama mun sum flestu samfeløgini í vesturheiminum, er tað mín hugsan, at aðrir brigdlar enn sosiobúskaparligir samfelagsbólkar eiga at verða lagdir undir samfelagsmálsligar kanningar í føroyska samfelagnum, t.d. í kyn, aldur, samleiki, stig av útbúgving, útbúgving heima ella uttanlands, o.s.fr. Við ástøði hjá týðandi nútíðar samfelagsmálfrøðingum skal sostatt her verða hugt at føroyskum málviðurskiftinum við hesum brigdlum sum grundarlag.

Tilfarið til greinina er frá masterserritgerð mínari frá 2006, tá ið ávísir munir vístu seg millum kynini í orðavali úr føroyska orðatilfeinginum. Pinkukanning er gjørd í 2009 fyri at finna ábendingar um, um rákið man vera nakað tað sama sum tá.

Dentur skal verða lagdur á, at hóast pinkukanningin tykist styðja tað, ið varð funnið við kanningunum í 2005, so eiga allar niðurstøður bert at verða lisnar sum ábendingar í spurninginum um kyn og val av máli í føroyska málsamfelagnum. Eg eri greið um, at størri kanningar eiga at verða gjørdar, um tað skal bera til at siga meir um hesar ábendingar.

Abstract: This article has been written with the intention of contributing to the linguistic discussion in the Faroese linguistic community which concerns gender diffe- rences in choice of language. More specifically, I have found it of interest to explore the topic by comparing indications seen in the Faroese linguistic community with others in a similar linguistic situation, i.e. a situation where there is a considerable difference between the vernacular and the standard variety. In this respect it may be useful to opt for the term diglossia, or a degree of diglossia. In addition to this particular phenomenon, I have also considered and discussed the fact that Faroese native speakers are exposed to the first foreign language at a very early stage in their education, as is the case in the other linguistic communities with which we may compare the Faroese. This exposure and thorough learning of the former coloniser’s language is considered necessary in order for the young student to go to universities abroad for further studies.

The Faroese community has not been organised in socio-economic layers comparable to the post industrial West. Because of this fact it has been considered that other linguistic variables must be explored than the division of the speakers into socio-economic groups as has been the traditional method within sociolinguistic research. The point of departure taken for this article has been to include gender, degree of education, i.e. university studies vs. shorter education, as well as the social identity that the individual speaker may choose in any given speech situation. Hence, with theories presented by contemporary sociolinguistic researchers as a basis, this article attempts to discuss the Faroese situation with these variables as a foundation.

The material for the article stems from the author´s master thesis in 2006, where distinct differences between the genders seemed to be present with respect to choice of vocabulary. A small investigation has been repeated for this article in order to assess whether the tendency seen then would reoccur in 2009.

Although the outcome of this small investigation seems to support the findings that derived from the material for the master thesis, it should be emphasised that the conclusions should be read as indications of what may be the situation in the Faroese linguistic community in respect of gender and language choice. I am fully aware of the fact that a more comprehensive investigation will be required to enable reliable elaborations on this very interesting topic.