A Bibliometric Perspective of Regional Languages on Select Scholarly Articles

Abstract

Regional languages are spoken within a specific geographical area or by a particular ethnic group and may have official recognition or be used informally. Research on regional languages is essential for several reasons. First, it helps to preserve and promote cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. Second, it can inform language policy and education practices. Third, it can contribute to our understanding of human cognition and communication. This study examines the research publications on regional languages and their impact using data from the database Web of Science from 1990 to 2022. The results indicate that research publications on regional languages have steadily increased over time. The United States ranks first in total publications. The Ohio State University has the highest number of publications among all institutions. The most frequently published journal was Zeitschrift Fur Dialektologie Und Linguistik, and the leading authors were Cynthia G. Clopper and Robert A. Fox. The analysis of keywords used in these publications showed that dialect, language policy, dialectology, bilingual education, and local language were the main research areas of interest. Overall, this study provides insights into the growing interest in regional languages and the research focus areas in this field