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In:Sociolinguistic Approaches to Arabic and Spanish in Contact
Edited by Farah Ali, Carol Ready and Sherez Mohamed
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 44] 2025
► pp. 124–142

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Chapter 7
Religion and language maintenance among Arabic-Spanish bilinguals in Puerto Rico

 | University at Albany, SUNY
 | Oklahoma State University
 | DePauw University
Published online: 17 July 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.44.07moh
Abstract
This chapter explores the often-overlooked influence of religious identity on language maintenance and shift in the Arabic-Spanish bilingual community in Puerto Rico. Previous research in Hispanic sociolinguistics, as compared to Arabic sociolinguistics, has rarely focused on religion as a social factor that impacts language use, thus, this study aims to explore the distinct linguistic practices of Muslim and Christian Arabs Puerto Rico and how they tie to perceived language use and maintenance. Based on a group of 15 participants, the data reveals some differences in language maintenance, with Christian Arabs showing greater susceptibility to language loss compared to their Muslim counterparts. The study underscores the impact of religious practices, particularly in biliteracy, while emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between religion, identity, and language maintenance in minority language communities.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Religion, language loss, and language maintenance
  • Diglossia in Arabic-Spanish speech communities
  • Present study
    • Arabic-Spanish bilinguals in Puerto Rico: Background
    • Motivation and research question
  • Methodology
    • Participants
    • Methods of analysis
  • Findings
    • Arabic and culture: Christian perspectives
    • Arabic and religion: Muslim perspectives
  • Conclusions and considerations
  • Notes
  • References
References (27)
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