Abstract:

The issue of linguistic alienation in relation to indigenous languages is one of the most acute item these days. Such phenomenon is a form of human existence, causing the separation of a person or people of one language group from the other, leading as a result to the elimination of the smaller group or to its assimilation.

The present research is devoted to the problem of alienation in linguistics and linguacultural studies as there are insufficient surveys covering and analyzing this subject matter.

Social difficulties as the growing economic crisis, constant changes in social life, a deterioration in the living conditions undoubtedly have a significant impact on all nationalities. This tendency together with the increasing pace of globalization determines the alienation of rare languages' societies and dramatic reduction of linguistic variability.

Over the past 200 years, the Maori language has experienced both ups and downs. It evolved in Aotearoa (New Zealand) over several hundred years. Maori did not have a written language, but the symbolic meanings embodied in carving, knots and weaving were widely shared and understood by everyone. With the seizure of territories by Europeans, the Maori tribe suffered sharp decline in the population in the second half of the nineteenth century. That period marked the fast appearance of linguistic isolation causing the adoption of the European way of life by the most Maori representatives. Such a situation meant the actual start of assimilation. A complete ban on the use of the Maori native language existed for quite a long period.

This example shows us that the opposition of the population of different language groups is always growing. Naturally, the more widespread language significantly suppresses the small one, the more it leads to its disappearance. All this makes extremely acute and visible the process of linguistic alienation of indigenous peoples and tribes with rare languages from the main society. Linguo-isolation becomes the leading trend of their individual existence; as for the preservation of their own culture and heritage, they are forced to isolate themselves.

However, this form of interaction between Maori and Europeans has given rise to the indigenous need of preserving their uniqueness. Especially, it refers to the language as the means of expressing their national identity, the way of thinking, Maori historical heritage and culture.

Therefore, since 1980, people have started to create conditions for the revival of the Maori language together with its preservation and dissemination. Thanks to these actions, by the beginning of the 21st century, more than 125,000 people from the Maori ethnic group were able to understand and communicate freely in this language, which is the official language of the country, along with English and the sign language.

As a result of the online sociological survey of 40 post-graduate students from the faculty of linguistics in RUDN, such methods to overcome linguistic alienation were determined:
1. Cultivation of the language prestige for the young generation.
2. Creating conditions for interest in this language, for example, to focus on the development of tourism.
3. Encouraging respect and caring attitude to the language, traditions and history of minorities.
4. Improving the system of education and expanding this language through mass media resources.

Keywords:

Linguistic alienation, indigenous languages, assimilation, linguistic variability, linguo-isolation.