Browsing by Author "Fernandes, Marta"

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    Terra de Miranda unveiled. The Mirandese minority in Portugal's monolingual myth
    (Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem, 2025) Rito da Silva, Constança; Fernandes, Marta
    This paper examines the Mirandese linguistic minority of Terra de Miranda as a paradigmatic case illustrating the persistent gap between formal legal recognition and substantive protection for regional minority languages within unitary states. It addresses the central research question of how formal acknowledgement of minority languages can be transformed into effective revitalisation within a unitary and ostensibly monolingual state. Combining doctrinal legal analysis, policy review, and qualitative fieldwork, including semi-structured interviews with Mirandese language scholars and representatives of the Associaçon de la Lhéngua i Cultura Mirandesa, the paper adopts an interpretive case study design. Primary sources comprise Portuguese legislation (notably Law No. 7/1999), Council of Europe monitoring reports, and recent sociolinguistic data. The interviews were complemented by data triangulation, integrating documentary evidence, legislative materials, and sociolinguistic studies to ensure analytical and contextual accuracy. The findings reveal that, despite official recognition since 1999, the Mirandese language continues to face severe implementation deficits. Limited funding, fragmented educational provision, lack of professionalised teachers, and minimal administrative or media presence have confined Mirandese to a largely symbolic status. Recent developments, including Portugal’s 2021 signature of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the 2025 creation of the Mission Structure for the Promotion of the Mirandese Language, mark steps forward but remain insufficient to reverse its decline. Current estimates indicate that fewer than 1,500 active speakers remain, placing the language at a critical risk of extinction. The study’s originality lies in linking international law and local practice to propose a sequenced roadmap for revitalising a minority language. It concludes that protecting Mirandese is not only a matter of cultural heritage but a test of democratic pluralism and human-rights compliance in modern Europe.