Our People’s Language

This book pioneers the study of Lánnang-uè, deeply embedded in Manila’s Lannang community’s culture. It approaches Lánnang-uè not just as a language but as a vibrant social practice, highlighting its variability and complex social meanings (e.g., identity-marking). Over six years and with more than 150 participants, the monograph integrates contemporary, community-focused, and critical sociolinguistic frameworks to explore and document linguistic variation as well as change signaling attrition, challenging reductive academic views. Employing diverse methodologies—surveys, elicitation, interviews, computational modeling, and ethnography— the work offers a nuanced depiction of Lánnang-uè’s diversity. A decolonial stance is advocated, emphasizing the complex practices that define the language and its speakers’ identity. It critiques the idea of a uniform linguistic standard, presenting Lánnang-uè as shaped by local, diverse, and inclusive practices, urging a reevaluation of language ownership and authenticity. This monograph is crucial for scholars in sociolinguistics, language variation, and contact linguistics, informing language revitalization efforts and enriching global discussions on linguistic diversity and discrimination.
(Lánnang-uè) Tsî-ge tshêh e focûs si mga Manilá e Lánnang e Lánnang-uè e pagka-vary` kâp pagka-pièn. Tsî pún tshêh si thau-tsi-ge lai examinè Lánnang-uè tsuê tsi-ge linguistîc e objêct kâp sociàl e practicê. I ieng contemporary`, community-centrîc kâp criticàl e mga sociolinguistic framewôrk lai explorè tsi-ge (socio)linguistîc e identity` kâp kuan-i gí-gién e phenomenòn na ti academîc e literaturè yá under-representêd kâp tuî mga speakèr lai kông lê ban-ban bo-khì — lo. Tsî-ge gien-kiù involvê 150 e láng i-siòng kâp ti lak ni lai condûct — e. In-ui tsî-gé, tsî-ge gien-kiù si dân kin-ná, up to this datê, tsuê té detalyadò kâp expansivê e gien-kiù ng Lánnang-uè. Imbis na thûng-sâk Lánnang-uè e mga anomaly` para khâ simplè, tsî-ge gien-kiù siuⁿ bêh embracê tsi-ge decoloniàl-e stancê na e emphasizê hî-ge importancê ng pagka-hôk-tsáp kâp pagka-bo-sáng. Tsî-ge tshêh leveragê tsin-tsue khuân e data sourcês kâp methodology` — lán-tshiu<sup>n</sup> mga survèy, elicitatiòn, mga intervièw, experimênt, computation modellìng kiau ethnography` — lai complemênt tsin tsue khuâⁿ-huât kâp kuan-i gí-gién kâp sia-huè e mga ebidensyà. Tsî-ge approâch e bok-tiâk si bêh delivèr tsi-ge khâ comprehensivê e understandìng ng Lánnang-uè e mga pagka-bosáng kâp pagka-pièn. I e pang-tsan mga readêrs reflêct on Lánnang sia-huè e pagka-hôk-tsáp kâp pagka-dynamîc. Bukod sa lê providê tsi-ge comprehensivê e linguistic descriptiòn ng Lánnang-uè, tsî-ge investigatiòn addrêss language ownershîp kâp authenticity` e tsi-kuá khâ hôk-tsáp kiau khâ thorny` e mga issuè. Tsî-ge tshêh e highlîght “Lánnang-uè” o “dân láng e uè” kâp, by extensiòn “Lánnáng” o “dân láng” e pagka-underspecifiêd e naturè kâp tuî tsuaí terminology` e pad-de pad-de mga intepretatiòn.
Tsî-ge tshêh aî put forwârd na pag dân aî khâ kumpletò e bing-piak Lánnang-uè, dân tioh khiâm-ieng examinè inside Lánnang-uè e inherênt e pagka-vary`: huaí experiencê kiau perceptiòn ng long-tsòng-e speakers kâp “gí-gien-guà” e mga factòr e ieung-hiông, lán-tshiuⁿ mga ideology`, attitudê, pagka-awarè, kâp huaí speakèr e mga sociolinguistic backgroûnd kâp agency`. I kay-disputê hî-ge fablêd e notiòn ng tsi-ge “standârd” kâp “homogenoûs” e Lánnang-uè. Insteâd, tsî-ge tshêh aî advocatê tsi-ge gí-gién na ho pun-tuè, diverse kâp negotiatêd e mga practice ng mga individuàl kâp community` lai ing-hiông — tioh: tsi-ge gí-gién na talagà inclusively` khâ “Lánnáng” o “dân láng” -e. Through integratiòn ng mga comtemporary` e sociolinguistic theory` kiau tsi-kuá insîght na galing fieldwôrk, tsî-ge tshêh lê proposê tsi-ge khâ nuancêd e sociolinguistic framewôrk lai bing-piak ti multilingual contêxt e variatiòn kâp pagka-pièn kâp lai labân linguistic discriminatiòn. Overàll, tsî-ge gien-kiù e bok-tiâk tsiu-si bêh tuî dân sociolinguistic variatiòn kâp changê e pagka-bing-piák tshông tsi-kuá contributiòn.