Language Maintenance Among the Mosuo in the Lugu Lake Region of Yunnan After Tourism Development
This study examines language maintenance among the Mosuo people of Lugu Lake, Yunnan, following tourism development. Using interviews and participant observation in five Mosuo villages in Yongning Township (Luoshui area), the authors investigate changes in language use since the region opened to tourism in 1992. Findings show that before tourism development, Yongning was a relatively monolingual Mosuo-speaking area, with speakers of other languages often learning Mosuo rather than the reverse. After tourism opened, Mosuo people have largely become bilingual, fluent in both Mosuo and Mandarin Chinese. Mosuo remains the primary language for intra-ethnic communication and cultural transmission, while Mandarin serves instrumental, inter-ethnic communicative functions, existing in a complementary relationship. However, the vitality of Mosuo is beginning to decline, and a trend toward language shift to Mandarin is emerging among younger generations, though large-scale shift is unlikely in the short term. The paper identifies both favorable and unfavorable factors affecting Mosuo maintenance, recommending measures to leverage strengths and promote language preservation.
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