The paradox of Kellis (western Egyptian desert)

Journal article

Kellis is a small village in the Dakhlah Oasis in the Western Egyptian desert. From the perspective of spatiality, Kellis seems to epitomise isolation and remoteness, whereas from the perspective of language usage, Kellis seems to exemplify integration and mixture.
The article aims to explain this paradox. In the context of Britain’s concept of spatiality, it investigates the linguistic landscape of Kellis therein focusing on three structures in semi-formulaic and formulaic contexts, that is the Greek wish for the addressee’s wellbeing, the Coptic Internal Address, and the Greek polite request, in addition to the Coptic variety of Kellis, that is dialect L*. The article traces non-idiolectal contact phenomena in formulaic contexts in order to zoom in on sociolectal variation, that is on markers rather than indicators in Labovian terms. Formulaic and semi-formulaic context are evidently approached differently from free contexts in speech production and comprehension.
Based on the evidence discussed, the article concludes that the inhabitants of Kellis seem to represent a close-knit social network with a certain desire to demarcate themselves. With regard to their language(s), their spatial remoteness however prevented neither innovations nor the spread of aerial features.

Authors: Fendel, VBM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Korean Society of Greco-Roman Studies
• Journal: Journal of Greco-Roman Studies
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 95-127
• Publication date: 2020-01-09
• Acceptance date: 2020-01-09
• DOI: 10.23933/jgrs.2019.58.3.95
• ISSN: 1225-1828
• Language: English
• Keywords: sociolect; regionalism; convergence; interference; formulaic