The Potentials and Challenges of Zazaki Translation for Language Revitalisation

Abstract

Turkey’s policy of linguicide vis-à-vis minority languages has seen the use of Zazaki deteriorate to the point that it has been designated ‘vulnerable’ in one of UNESCO’s reports on languages worldwide that was published in 2009. Despite oppression of the language, its translation activity has increased, especially by the Vate Group which was established to revitalise and standardise Zazaki. To explore the contribution of translation to the revitalisation process, samples from the translation corpora and the activity of the Vate Group are examined; special attention is paid to the translated work Sînemaya Bêvenge. This brief depiction of Zazaki translation shows that it has the potential to contribute to revitalising a minority language, especially by enriching and modernising its lexicon.