Key research themes
1. What are the linguistic and historical characteristics of the Karaim Bible translation tradition and its role in preserving Karaim language and identity?
This research theme investigates the emergence, evolution, and linguistic features of Karaim Bible translations, which represent some of the oldest texts in the endangered Karaim language. It explores the manuscript traditions, translation techniques, the biographies of translators and copyists, and the textual relationships across different Karaim communities. The study is vital for understanding how biblical translation has contributed to language maintenance, religious identity preservation, and the interrelation between dialects within the Karaim speech community.
2. How has Slavic and contact influence shaped the linguistic features and dialectal diversification of Western Karaim?
This theme addresses the impact of Slavic languages on Western Karaim phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics resulting from geographical and sociolinguistic contact. It includes investigations into dialectal splits (North-Western vs. South-Western Karaim), contact-induced grammatical categories such as verbal tenses, and the integration of Slavic lexical and phonetic elements. Understanding these influences is crucial for reconstructing Karaim language evolution and language contact dynamics in Eastern Europe.
3. In what ways have Karaim's Hebrew script usage and manuscript culture influenced its preservation and the transmission of religious and cultural identity?
This area focuses on the adoption and development of the Hebrew script by Karaim communities for recording their Turkic vernacular and religious texts. It analyzes orthographic adaptations to accommodate Karaim phonology, the comparative use of Hebrew script by related groups (such as Krimchaks), and the manuscript culture's role in maintaining Karaim linguistic heritage and Karaite Judaism. The theme also addresses manuscript provenance, preservation challenges, and the script's gradual decline.