A new reconstitution methodology for language reclamation

Given the recent surge in interest both among indigenous groups and the general public in language revitalization and language reclamation, this thesis is an attempt at devising a methodology for recovering phonological information from data recorded before the advent of phonological analysis that explicitly seeks to meet the goals of language reclaimers. Based on previous descriptions of linguistic reconstitution methodology (Broadbent 1953, Dench 1993, Umaña 2000) this thesis seeks to address the lack of linguistic reconstitution resources specifically designed to help in language reclamation, or the revitalization of languages which possess no remaining native speakers. By describing all of the methods used in previous attempts at linguistic reconstitution in one place, incorporating similar techniques from descriptive grammars written based on non-specialist sources, as well as proposing new ones based on accounts of language reclamation, a new methodology which can meet the needs of indigenous communities is developed. This methodology, unlike previous linguistic reconstitution methodologies, has as its product a range of potential choices based on the goals of each group of language reclaimers. It is illustrated on the test case of Yurumanguí, a sparsely attested language once spoken in Colombia which has already been treated in a previous linguistic reconstitution attempt (Urban 2019). In the future, more needs to be written about linguistic reconstitution in aspects of the linguistic system aside from the phonology so that the work of reconstituting languages for language reclamation purposes can be streamlined to the extent possible. This will allow indigenous communities to more easily make informed choices about language planning and design when little data remains about the variety they are attempting to reclaim.